The tragic events leading to World War I in 1914 are a classic example. Serbia helped drag Czarist Russia into that bloody maelstrom and Austria-Hungary did the same to Wilhelmine Germany. Similar dangers exist today in the international system.

Two of Washington's current most odious and dangerous "loose cannon" allies are Israel and Turkey. U.S. administrations have funded and armed both countries for decades and routinely excused outrageous acts that their clients have committed. Even worse from the standpoint of America's best interests and purported values, the respective governments have increasingly competitive political and strategic objectives. Such growing animosity could bring them to blows, with the United States being caught in the middle of their feud.

Israel arguably has become the single most brutal and disruptive player in the Middle East. Tel Aviv has pursued its aggressive agenda against multiple Islamic targets. Over the past several years, Israel's top priority has been to attack opponents in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, and the negative effects on regional and even global stability are devastating.

Brutal actions that Israeli security forces have taken against Palestinian fighters and civilians in Gaza have led to plausible allegations of outright genocide. Credible estimates from a variety of international sources indicate that more than 70,000 Palestinian civilians, including more than 20,000 children, have perished at the hands of those security forces since October 7, 2023.  An additional 44,000 children have been injured. Moreover, Tel Aviv's fighters have apparently targeted journalists for assassination in an effort to cover up their responsibility for such atrocities.

The war in Gaza is not the only case in which Tel Aviv's actions should be a shameful embarrassment to U.S. officials. Israeli strikes on Iran's air defenses in the spring of 2025 helped pressure the second Trump administration to launch B-2 bomber assaults on Tehran's nuclear installations. More recently, Tel Aviv's actions, including missile strikes against Iran and assassinating Iranian leaders, triggered a wider U.S.-led war against Iran.

In addition to its direct acts of aggression against Iran, Tel Aviv expanded and intensified its coercive military presence in Lebanon. The latest measures amount to a de facto Israeli annexation of Lebanese territory south of the Zahrani River.

Israel and Turkey have been notorious violators of both international law and human rights for decades. Their current actions are not a new phenomenon.