Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting to practice the art of the impossible, pursuing peace with two of Israel’s longest-standing adversaries, Syria and Lebanon. On Sunday, he announced that the recent war with Hezbollah has made this impossible task suddenly seem achievable, with active talks underway with Damascus.
For decades, peace with Syria was considered a political impossibility, blocked by the intransigent Assad regime. Its collapse has changed the political physics of the region, allowing for direct negotiations to begin. A Syrian official has even stated that a security agreement could be finalized by the end of 2025.
Peace with Lebanon was seen as impossible as long as Hezbollah remained a powerful, independent military force. While Israel continues to strike the group, the Lebanese government is now taking the first steps to solve this internal problem by ordering its army to plan the militia’s disarmament.
Netanyahu explained how the impossible became possible. “Our victories… have opened a window for a possibility that was not even imagined before,” he told his cabinet. He confirmed “some progress” in the “impossible” negotiations with Syria.
This pursuit of the impossible is yielding tangible results. The new Syrian government is negotiating a demilitarized zone in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal. The Lebanese government has set a three-month timeline to begin disarming Hezbollah in the south. The art of the impossible is being translated into the reality of diplomacy.