The Post-Assad Realignment: Israel in Talks with Syria, Eyes Lebanon Deal

A major regional realignment is underway in the post-Assad Middle East, with Israel now in direct peace negotiations with Syria. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed this on Sunday, and added that the new dynamic, which he attributes to Israel’s war with Hezbollah, has also created a pathway to peace with Lebanon.
For decades, the Assad regime in Syria was a cornerstone of the anti-Israel “resistance axis.” Its collapse has shattered that alignment, allowing the new Syrian government to pursue a more pragmatic course. This has led to unprecedented direct talks with Israel, with a Syrian official hopeful of finalizing security deals by the year’s end.
This realignment is also forcing changes in Lebanon. Hezbollah, a key member of the old axis, is now isolated. While Israel continues military strikes against the group, the Lebanese state is being pressured by the U.S. to assert its authority. In response, Beirut has ordered its army to begin planning for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Netanyahu explicitly linked these shifts to Israel’s military actions. “Our victories in Lebanon against Hezbollah have opened a window for a possibility that was not even imagined before,” he told his cabinet. He confirmed the Syrian talks were progressing, albeit slowly.
This new alignment is taking concrete form. Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is negotiating a land-for-security arrangement with Israel. In Lebanon, the foreign minister has announced a specific timeline for the army to start disarming Hezbollah in the south. These moves suggest a fundamental change in the region’s geopolitical landscape.