The United States' increasing criticism of Israeli foreign policies and its gradual disengagement from the Middle East will feed into Israel's larger debate about defense self-sufficiency and encourage future Israeli governments to pursue policies that aim to reduce their country's reliance on Washington. On March 14, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called for new elections in Israel and criticized the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The criticism was particularly notable in part because of Schumer's strong pro-Israel record and his previous alignment with Netanyahu over issues like the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which they both opposed. This comes against the backdrop of rising tensions between the U.S. government and Israel since the beginning of the Gaza war on Oct. 7. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly pushed the Israeli government to restrain its military tactics to preserve civilian lives and improve humanitarian...
