Your hot take is even older. That might have been true in the 50's, but now we have seven strategically placed non-NATO allies in the middle east. We no longer have an exclusive strategic alliance with Israel.

Now that we have better relations with multiple middle eastern countries, what explains the special deference that the US gives to Israel? Why is Israel still our largest foreign aid recipient? Why do we still protect them at all costs, even while they perpetually antagonize their neighbors? The only other country that we regularly look the other way for is easy to explain: Saudi Arabia has the largest oil reserves in the world. What do we get from Israel that would explain our willingness to ignore the shit that Israel pulls?

The 1980's hot take that you lambast is still relevant. If it weren't for the support of Evangelicals that see it as some sort of prophecy, combined with a general hatred of everything muslim, the US would have no appetite for their shenanigans and would have dropped them like we dropped Syria and Turkey.

Israel is by no means a US partner, but the biggest headache

I am just not sure what reality you live in where you can say this. But surely you don't live in the US, I hope.