It’s been a while since we’ve covered events in the Middle East here, and with a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in place and all that’s happened in Lebanon and Syria during the past six months — events set in motion by but separate from the war in Gaza — it felt like the right time to say something.
What’s striking, I think, is that even though these issues are interconnected, they do point in different directions. There’s been no settlement with Lebanon or with the new regime in Syria, but I think there’s also reason to feel optimistic about both countries and their ability to maintain peace with Israel over the longer term. In Gaza, we have a deal, but nothing has been resolved. Here are my thoughts on the specifics across these multiple fronts and how they relate to American politics: