Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed an unexpected harvest from the fields of war, suggesting that the conflict with Hezbollah has yielded a surprising crop of peace opportunities. On Sunday, he announced that Israel is now engaged in productive talks with Syria and sees a new path to an agreement with Lebanon.
The most promising yield is from Syria, where the fall of the Assad regime has allowed new diplomatic seeds to be sown. The new government is actively cultivating a new relationship, with a Syrian official stating that they hope to harvest a full security and military agreement by the end of 2025.
In Lebanon, the harvest involves separating the wheat from the chaff—distinguishing the legitimate state from the illegitimate militia. Israel continues to target Hezbollah (the chaff), creating better conditions for the Lebanese government (the wheat) to grow and assert its authority, a process that now includes a plan for disarmament.
Netanyahu described this agricultural metaphor to his ministers. “Our victories in Lebanon against Hezbollah have opened a window,” he said, implying the war was the necessary tilling of the soil. He confirmed that this work is already producing “some progress” in talks with Syria.
This harvest is not just theoretical. Syria’s new leadership is negotiating a land-for-security deal, a tangible fruit of these new talks. Lebanon has committed to a timeline to begin its own harvest by disarming Hezbollah in the south. The seeds of conflict may be yielding an unexpected peace.