Yom Haatzmaut - Are we Really Independent?

Every year on Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel is filled with the smell of barbecues and the sounds of singing, celebrating the birth of the Jewish state. It's a day of gratitude for survival, strength, and national revival in our land. Yet behind all of the celebration, we must ask ourselves: are we really independent?  

During my reserve service, when Nasrallah and Sinwar were killed, I felt a great sense of pride in the IDF. But part of me hesitated. Not because it wasn’t justified, which of course it was, but because I was worried for what America would do in response. Would they still back us if Hezbollah or Iran retaliated? Would they pressure us to restrain ourselves for the sake of 'regional stability'? That hesitation, even in a moment of an objective justifiable action of killing the leader of a terror organization, reveals just how deeply Israel has internalized the need for foreign approval, specifically from America. That is not what real independence looks like. True independence does not ask permission, or for forgiveness. 

Independence is more than having an army, economy, or a seat at the UN. It's the freedom for a country to choose its own course of action that serves its strategic and security interests, without fear of foreign consequences. And despite all that we’ve built, Israel today often finds itself asking not what is right, but what will America think? For instance, throughout history, America has occasionally withheld weapons shipments to Israel as leverage to enforce policy changes, forcing Israel to quickly adjust its actions to avoid severe consequences. This makes it clear who has the leverage, and shows the balance is clearly skewed. We rely on American aid and approval far more than they rely on ours. We fear their disapproval; they do not fear ours. The point is, there is a difference between an alliance, when two countries can gain from each other and have mutual respect, and being completely reliant on another nation, as the reality Israel has gotten into with the U.S.

While it's true that U.S. support has been vital, especially in Israel’s early decades, we must ask if that still justifies a permanent, complete reliance today. Israel is no longer the fragile victim of 1948. Today, we are global leaders technologically and militarily, with a functioning economy and government. However, this dependency has deeply seeped into our national identity. We’ve been trained to believe we can't afford to stand alone, and that belief shapes how we govern, how we fight, and how we see ourselves. Over time, Israel has increasingly adopted Western norms, driven by an underlying urge to prove to the West that we are just like them, often suppressing the traditional Jewish values that should be guiding our national identity. We are building not a Jewish state, but a Western proxy with Jewish characteristics.

This fear of isolation is further intensified by the existence of the large Jewish Diaspora, for which Israel considers their wellbeing in both strategic and moral decisions. It's no secret that Israel’s strength protects Jews in the diaspora — that Israel's legitimacy ensures they won’t face persecution and antisemitism from foreign governments. But when that starts driving Israeli foreign policy, we cross a dangerous line. Instead of acting in our own best interest, we begin making decisions to avoid tension between foreign governments that could affect Jews elsewhere. And ironically, this makes Israel less effective as a safe haven. Because if the State of Israel must always prioritize relationships with foreign powers to protect Jews abroad, it can never fully act for its own sake. 

We saw this logic play out just days after the greatest military miracle of modern times. In 1967, Israeli soldiers stood victorious on the Temple Mount, the holiest place in Judaism. Yet, we handed control back to the Islamic Waqf, not because we had to, but because we were afraid of world reaction, including American consequences. We were afraid of owning what was already ours, of the land that was eternally given to us. Even in triumph, we deferred.

That same deferral defines many of our political relationships today. Take AIPAC, the most influential pro-Israel lobby in Washington. It has certainly secured vital military aid and defended Israel’s legitimacy on the global stage. But its success comes at a cost, which is that it fuels and deepens the extreme dependency that is holding Israel back. Through AIPAC, Israel becomes disproportionately tied to American political agendas, often at the expense of pursuing its own interests.

The problem is magnified by American Jewish elites like Ron Lauder, who often champion support for Israel while promoting policies like the two-state solution that pressure Israel into dangerous concessions. Their influence may be well-intentioned, but they often reflect American political priorities more than Israeli strategic needs. It allows them to say, “We support Israel, but we also support peace,” which resonates more with American political and moral outlooks. Consequently, in addition to pushing negative policies for Israel, this also implies Israel must be in line with American interests every step of the way.

Even Israeli leaders on the nationalist right like The Yesha Council, Yisrael Gantz of Binyamin, and Yossi Dagan of the Shomron, who have been powerful advocates for Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria have showed strong public embrace of Donald Trump, even renting a billboard in Times Square to celebrate his inauguration. However, it reveals a risky overreliance on personalities. Yes, Trump has delivered real gains for Israel. But American politics are volatile. What one president gives, the next can take away. If your future depends on a single man in the White House, you don’t have a future — you have a gamble. Israel must be willing and make itself capable of standing alone, even when it's difficult — especially when it's difficult.

Thankfully, there are encouraging signs that a shift is underway. Israel’s defense leadership, including new Ramatkal Eyal Zamir, has voiced clear intent to expand production of weapons locally, decreasing reliance on American systems. But hardware won’t be enough. We need leaders, both moral and political, who believe that the Jewish people can stand upright without excessively leaning on foreign crutches to the point where we cannot move without them.

Of course, we must celebrate and thank God on Yom Haatzmaut for the miracles of 1948 and the continued survival of our people. But we must also resist the temptation to treat this day as a finished product. Calling it “Independence Day” risks declaring victory while the mission remains incomplete. Let it instead be a day of gratitude and clarity, and a reminder that while we have a state, we are still reclaiming our independence—politically, economically, culturally, and spiritually. We are not underwater, but we are not yet breathing freely. And until we can act with unapologetic confidence, immune by foreign pressure, the dream of full redemption still remains ahead of us.