Peloni: Peace thru strength requires not just victory, but decisive victory. It is this which produces the greatest stabilizing effect following the war, which in turn results in the greatest span of peace. As war is the act of diplomacy by other means, peace is the prize which can result from either of these tactics, but only if either the war or the diplomacy is approached in a serious manner with the goal of peace in mind rather than either profit or conquest.
There is victory in Lebanon at and given Syrian events, Trump could open his second term with the triumph of leaning on both Lebanon and Syria to sign peace treaties with Israel.
First there are no territorial issues between Israel and Lebanon so that peace treaty will pull the rug under Hezbollah or any other faction keeping a private army “for defence” but really to bully Lebanon. That will simplify Lebanon’s nation state repair problems and lower Israel’s defence bill. Both sides have no interest in renewing the conflict.
Second the new Syrian government wants the good grace of the USA and the West and needs peace for its own nation state repairs. So it should not be difficult to agree to a peace on the 1974 cease fire line which has been the stable status quo since 1974.
Syrian demands by the Assads for the 1949 – 67 line can be squashed with the Syrian precedent of the 1949 Armistice line being marginally to the West of the 1923 Franco-British Convention line so retaining “territory acquired by war” in 1949. Sauce for goose is sauce for gander so that entitles ISrael’s security demand fo rthe 1974 line.
The compromise could be the 1923 Franco British line to satisfy the “no territory acquired by war” hypocrisy, but lets Israel lease for a symbolic dollar a year all the Golan West of the 1974 line.