The traditional belief has been that Israel relied heavily on the United States for its survival. However, experts suggest that Israel may have now achieved a level of independence from the US, despite still benefiting from its assistance. According to political analysts and security experts, Israel has quietly developed its autonomy from Washington. Vipin Narang, a political scientist from MIT, notes that there is a noticeable increase in Israeli independence. Israel no longer relies on US security guarantees for protection from neighboring states or American mediation in the Palestinian conflict. Israelis are comfortable with the current state of the conflict and support maintaining it. Israel now produces many of its essential weapons domestically and has become more self-sufficient diplomatically by cultivating allies outside of Washington. Israelis are also less concerned with US approval culturally and put less pressure on their leaders to maintain good relations with Washington. US aid to Israel has remained high in absolute terms, but Israel's economic growth over the years has made the country less reliant on it. In 1981, US aid made up nearly 10% of Israel's economy, but by 2020, it was closer to 1%. Washington's influence in the conflict was further diminished when they called for a cease-fire only after an Egyptian-brokered agreement was almost complete. Israeli leaders agreed to the cease-fire because they had achieved their military objectives in a ten-day conflict with Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be visiting the region this week, but he has stated that he does not plan to restart formal Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. The change is happening as a group of Democrats and activists on the left who are upset about Israel's treatment of Palestinians and bombing of Gaza are starting to question Washington's longstanding stance on Israel. Despite this, there are still a significant number of Americans who support Israel, and Democratic politicians have not fully embraced their voters' increasing support for Palestinians. The United States still has influence over Israel due to the arms and diplomatic support it provides, as seen during former President Donald Trump's strong alliance with the Israeli government. However, American influence may be weakening to the point where Israel may start acting independently, regardless of bipartisan agreements. Steps towards becoming self-sufficient have been taken by Israel in reengineering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is now largely considered bearable by Israeli voters and leaders. The violence that was prevalent during the Second Intifada 15 years ago has decreased significantly, with lower-level incidents occurring sporadically in the West Bank and even less frequently in Israel itself. Despite occasional outbreaks of fighting with Gaza-based groups, Israel has managed to shift the majority of the burden onto the people of Gaza. Conflict deaths, which used to be 3-to-1 Palestinian-to-Israeli, now have a ratio closer to 20-to-1. Meanwhile, many Israelis are disillusioned with the peace process and see periodic fighting as the least undesirable option. The occupation remains a heavy burden for Palestinians, but for most Jewish Israelis, it is easy to ignore on a daily basis. Yaël Mizrahi-Arnaud, a research fellow at the Forum for Regional Thinking, noted that Israelis have grown more accepting of this situation, considering it a cost they are willing to bear. This status quo can be sustained by Israel without much assistance from outside sources. In previous years, Israel heavily relied on US-made military equipment, which required approval from both Congress and the White House. However, they now depend on domestically produced missile defense technology, showcasing their determination for self-sufficiency. Despite initial skepticism, Israel has successfully developed a highly effective missile defense system at a reasonable cost. The pursuit of military autonomy began in the 1990s, fueled by strained relations with the George HW Bush administration and doubts about long-term American support. This belief has become stronger over time with subsequent presidents, who have been pushing for peace with the Palestinians, despite Israeli preferences to maintain control of the West Bank and blockade Gaza. This has led Israel to seek independent capabilities and intelligence gathering to reduce its vulnerability to US pressure. Israel no longer heavily relies on US protection and is less concerned about international isolation, as it now faces a more favorable international climate. Countries that were once considered "anti-imperialist" and challenged Israel have shifted their focus. Although international opinions on Israel vary, with many Muslim-majority societies holding strongly negative views, Israel has developed relationships with countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Even neighboring Arab states like Jordan and Egypt, who were once enemies, are now seeking peace, and tensions have eased with other Arab nations. In the past year, the Abraham Accords, facilitated by Trump, led to Israel establishing diplomatic relations with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Israel has since normalized relations with Morocco and reached a diplomatic agreement with Sudan. "We used to discuss the possibility of a diplomatic tsunami approaching, but it never came to fruition," stated Dahlia Scheindlin, an Israeli political expert and pollster. Scheindlin conducts a yearly survey asking Israelis to prioritize national issues. Security and the economy consistently rank highest, while foreign relations are now at the bottom of the list. European diplomats issue warnings that have no consequences, while Democrats discuss the future of the alliance. However, Israelis believe their international standing is strong. Israel has also tried to distance itself from the United States in terms of diplomacy. In the mid-2010s, Benjamin Netanyahu opposed Obama’s reelection due to his Middle East policies, damaging relations. Netanyahu has since formed alliances with illiberal democracies like Brazil, Hungary, and India, who admire Israel's treatment of Palestinians. This strategy, known as the "other friends policy," has led Israelis to no longer see US support as vital for their survival. The increasing trend towards nationalism has led to a decreased importance placed on international criticism. The traditional leverage of Washington's support for Israel's democratic credentials is becoming less significant over time. In the past, it was believed that one of the main responsibilities of an Israeli prime minister was to maintain bipartisan support from Washington, so when Netanyahu aligned with Republicans and criticized Obama, it was expected that he would face backlash at home. However, Obama and congressional Democrats did not significantly alter their support. Americans elected Trump, who showed more favoritism towards Netanyahu than any other president before him. This situation gave Israelis a feeling of being able to act without consequences. According to Scheindlin, Israelis have learned that they can manage tense situations and rocky relations. Since President Biden's election, focus groups have shown that Israelis no longer worry about backlash from American politicians. They seem unfazed and resigned to the idea that it's just America. Many Israelis have become disinterested in the peace process, viewing it as futile and of low importance due to a status quo they find acceptable. This shift in attitude towards peace has altered the relationship with the United States, as Israeli leaders no longer feel pressured to show their commitment to peace to Washington. Instead, they face growing demands to challenge American policies by expanding settlements in the West Bank or even annexing it. Israel is not the first small state to seek independence from a powerful patron. In this case, however, it was the Americans who helped Israel build up its military and diplomatic independence, ultimately diminishing their own influence. After almost 50 years of not using this leverage to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it may now be lost forever. Mizrahi-Arnaud noted that Israel now feels empowered to act without consequences, questioning when was the last time the United States pressured Israel.