Israel is undergoing a major strategic repositioning on its northern border, moving from a reactive posture of conflict management to a proactive one of peace creation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu detailed this shift on Sunday, explaining how military success against Hezbollah has enabled this new, more ambitious approach with Syria and Lebanon.
For decades, the goal with Syria was to manage the conflict and maintain a tense quiet. Now, with a new government in Damascus, the strategy has repositioned toward creating a formal, lasting peace. A Syrian official has confirmed that talks to create this new reality are underway.
In Lebanon, the old strategy was to manage the threat from Hezbollah through deterrence. The new, creative strategy is to help foster the conditions for a sovereign Lebanon to emerge, free from militia control. The Lebanese government’s decision to disarm Hezbollah is a direct result of this new approach.
Netanyahu articulated the vision behind this repositioning. “The possibility of peace… was not even imagined before,” he stated, highlighting the shift from a limited to an expansive strategic horizon. He confirmed that this new creative diplomacy is already showing “some progress” with Syria.
This strategic repositioning is about building a different future, not just managing the present. The negotiation of a demilitarized zone with Syria and the empowerment of the Lebanese state are the cornerstones of this new, proactive effort to create a lasting northern peace.