ABSTRACT
Western leaders have realized that the governments of client states can pursue their own vital interests, and implement their national policies, without too much consideration for the interests and political demands of their main patron — the US. The, is that of the degrees of congruence between the views and perceptions about the patron, and the nature of the desired relations, that are held by the political elite and by public opinion. Looking at the phenomenon as far as possible from the clients’ viewpoint, the third theoretical issue is that of the correlation between actual and perceptual foundations of their freedom of action. The establishment of the state saw Israel adopting a policy of non-alignment. Non-alignment, or neutrality, was intended to solve problems that had confronted Israeli leaders on two levels. Pragmatically, they were inclined to obtain ample arms supplies, as well as economic and political support, from both superpowers.
