Israel is rewriting the rules of engagement on its northern border, transitioning from a state of perpetual conflict to one of active diplomacy with old enemies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that the war with Hezbollah was the catalyst for this change, opening doors to talks with Syria and a potential peace with Lebanon.
The old rulebook with Syria, which dictated a frozen conflict since 1973, has been thrown out. The ouster of Bashar al-Assad has allowed for a new chapter of direct negotiations, with a Syrian official suggesting a final security agreement could be written by the end of this year.
In Lebanon, the old rule was that Hezbollah, not the state, controlled the south. Israel is trying to rewrite this rule by weakening the militia through continued military strikes and supporting U.S. efforts to empower the Lebanese army. The Lebanese government has now picked up the pen, ordering the drafting of disarmament plans.
“The possibility of peace with our northern neighbours… was not even imagined before our recent operations,” Netanyahu said, highlighting how profoundly the rules have changed. He confirmed that under these new terms of engagement, talks with Syria are making “some progress.”
This new rulebook is already in effect. Syria is negotiating a demilitarized zone, a concept anathema to the old regime. Lebanon is planning to disarm Hezbollah, a move it has avoided for 35 years. These are clear signs that a new game is being played on the northern border.
