The entire Middle East is facing a moment of reckoning with a new, post-war reality, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Sunday, he argued that the conflict with Hezbollah has forced a region-wide recalculation, leading to direct peace talks between Israel and Syria and compelling Lebanon to confront its internal demons.
The reckoning in Syria has been the most profound. The fall of the Assad regime has forced the country to reckon with a new political future, one that now includes direct negotiations with Israel to secure its borders. A Syrian official has confirmed that this process of re-evaluation is aimed at a final security pact by the end of 2025.
In Lebanon, the moment of reckoning is about national identity and sovereignty. The war has forced the government to reckon with the cost of allowing a militia to operate on its soil. Its decision to disarm Hezbollah is a sign that it has chosen the path of a modern nation-state.
Netanyahu described this historic juncture. “Our victories… have opened a window for a possibility that was not even imagined before,” he said, framing the war as the catalyst for this moment of truth. He confirmed that Syria’s reckoning has led to “some progress” in their talks.
As the region grapples with this new reality, new structures are being built. A demilitarized zone with Syria and a sovereign Lebanon are the potential outcomes of this collective reckoning, a process that could redefine the Middle East for a generation.
