The past week marked a pivotal moment for Lebanon, as the long-standing presidential vacuum that underscored the nation’s systemic political crisis finally ended. The election of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, who garnered a comfortable majority in the second round of parliamentary voting, was more than just a procedural outcome. It reflected the shifting dynamics in the Levant and heralded a new chapter for a country long caught in the throes of external manipulation and internal strife.

For decades, Lebanon and its neighbor Syria have been dominated by a complex interplay of forces: foreign powers, police states, and sectarian militias. These forces operated in a symbiotic manner, with a major non-Arab regional power supporting an Arab police state that, in turn, provided sectarian militias with a base of operations and strategic depth. This structure not only perpetuated instability but also aligned with the strategic interests of another regional player, Israel, which saw no threat in the status quo. In fact, the maintenance of a fragmented and conflict-ridden Levant served Israel’s broader strategic objectives by perpetuating divisions that prevented unified opposition.

This arrangement was underscored by a paradoxical narrative. While slogans of “liberating Jerusalem” and “resistance” dominated public discourse, the reality was one of calculated inaction. The international community, led by the United States, tacitly accepted the ambitions of Israel, Iran, and Turkiye, provided that the power struggles within the region remained controlled and did not disrupt global........

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