9 evidenced by the heated rhetoric, is a perfect foil that can be easily activated at a moment’s notice. Israel, for historical, emotional and realpolitik considerations, has been one of Washington’s closest allies with great support of both aisles of the political divide. A deepening crisis could even pit the administration against Congress. This may be one of the outcomes the Turks are banking on. The Netanyahu government has much to answer for in its lack of leadership and navel gazing. But Washington did not read Turkish intentions and goals accurately and therefore could not prevent this turn of events. Whichever way one looks at it, it is a failure of U.S. diplomacy that it will now have to constantly have to act as a buffer between two of its close allies. Henri Barkey is a visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a professor of international relations at Lehigh University. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_025005