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How the Iran war is helping Lebanon and Israel tiptoe toward peace

One of the paradoxes of war is that it can jolt peacemakers into action when conventional diplomacy fails.

That’s what appears to be underway right now between Israel and Lebanon.As a direct result of the success of the combined US-Israeli operations against the regime in Tehran, President Donald Trump has launched an unprecedented effort to forge a lasting peace between these two neighbors.

And a 10-day cease-fire, announced Thursday, could be the first step on that road.At the heart of the challenge lies the Hezbollah terrorist organization.Of all of Iran’s terrorist proxies in the Middle East, Hezbollah has posed the gravest danger to Israel and the West more broadly.Since its 1983 suicide bombing that slaughtered 241 US servicemembers and 58 French paratroopers in Beirut, Hezbollah has killed, kidnapped and tortured Americans.

It’s fired thousands of missiles and drones against Israeli civilians — weapons it shouldn’t possess in the first place.Hezbollah was meant to disarm in 2006 under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which left the Lebanese army as the only legitimate military force in the country.Yet 20 years later, despite being severely degraded by the Israel Defense Forces, Hezbollah still retains its weapons.With up to 50,000 fighters in its ranks and tens of thousands of missiles still in its arsenal, no one should be under the illusion that disarming Hezbollah will be easy.

Widespread skepticism that such an outcome can be achieved through diplomacy prevails in both Israel and Lebanon.Even so, the United States has rightly grabbed the current opportunity to overcome........

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