The old political order on Israel’s northern border is rapidly unraveling, creating new and unexpected prospects for peace. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that the war with Hezbollah and the fall of the Assad regime have combined to tear apart the old fabric of alliances, revealing a new landscape of diplomatic opportunity with Syria and Lebanon.
The most dramatic unraveling has occurred in Syria. The decades-long rule of the Assad dynasty, the anchor of the anti-Israel “resistance front,” is over. Its replacement is a new government that is disentangling itself from the old alliances and weaving new ties, including direct peace talks with Israel. A Syrian official hopes to have a new security framework stitched together by year’s end.
In Lebanon, the old order was defined by Hezbollah’s powerful grip. This is now unraveling as the group is weakened militarily and isolated politically. The Lebanese government is picking up the loose threads, beginning the process of disarming the militia and reasserting state control.
Netanyahu described this historic moment of change. “Our victories… have opened a window for a possibility that was not even imagined before,” he stated. He confirmed that as the old order comes apart, “some progress” is being made in building a new one with Syria.
As the old tapestry of conflict unravels, a new one of peace may be taking its place. A demilitarized zone with Syria and a sovereign Lebanon would be the key patterns in this new design, replacing the worn-out motifs of war and resistance.