The Trump administration on Wednesday notched another diplomatic breakthrough in the Middle East, when it cajoled Israeli and Lebanese officials to hold official, direct talks for the first time in more than three decades. “With Iran on its heels, Hezbollah being degraded, and Israel increasingly in a mood not to tolerate terrorists on its borders, the moment is ripe for a regional recalibration,” said Travis Weber, FRC’s vice president for Policy and Government Affairs, “and this one makes total sense.”

Israel and Lebanon have not held direct talks since 1993, in large part due to their differences over the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah, one of the Iran-backed terrorist proxies that went to war with Israel on October 7. Hezbollah has long held an unassailable position in Lebanon, acting as both an armed militia and an influential political party that participated in the government.

But Hezbollah’s situation deteriorated catastrophically in 2024, when the Israeli military entered southern Lebanon and forcibly destroyed the majority of Hezbollah’s missile stockpiles (this was after Israel’s brilliant pager operation). Israel’s invasion resulted in a ceasefire, in which Hezbollah agreed not to rearm in southern Lebanon, within striking distance of Israeli territory.

Recently, however, Israel has detected Hezbollah activities to rebuild its military capabilities. Israel is frustrated with what, from their perspective, is insufficient action by the Lebanese Army to prevent Hezbollah’s rearmament. For this reason, their leaders were reluctant to agree to the meeting.

In response to the rearmament, Israel has launched strikes in Lebanese territory against Hezbollah operations. The strikes reached a climax two weeks ago, when Israel assassinated Hezbollah’s top military commander with an airstrike on Beirut, the first Israeli strike on Beirut in five months. Israel has warned the U.S. that Hezbollah’s current rate of rearmament, in violation of the ceasefire, will force Israel to restart the war — beyond mere airstrikes — to remove the threat once again.

For their part, the Beirut government was also reluctant to meet with Israel. They condemned Israeli airstrikes and complained that the attacks were undermining the Lebanese army’s operations. They also demanded that Israeli forces withdraw from five positions they still hold on the Lebanese side of the border.

American diplomats have been trying since March to overcome this reluctance from both parties and arrange a meeting. In the end, it took the efforts of the newly confirmed U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Lebanese-American businessman Michael Issa (confirmed on October 7, ironically), to bring the effort across the finish line. On Tuesday, Issa convinced Lebanon to come to the table, while U.S. Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus cajoled Israel to take part.

The Wednesday meeting took place in southern Lebanon after a regular monthly meeting, led by the U.S. military, to monitor the ceasefire. After the regular meeting, civilian officials from both countries attended a separate one, which ran for more than an hour. The meeting mostly focused on the parties getting to know each other, sources said, but they did broach the topic of economic cooperation, especially in war-torn southern Lebanon.

A U.S. official told Axios that the Trump administration envisions a “Trump economic zone” along the Israel-Lebanon border, free of both Hezbollah and its heavy weapons.

By all accounts, the introductory meeting went well, and the two nations agreed to meet again this month to discuss specific economic proposals, as a way to build confidence.

Still, a wide gulf separates the two governments. “All parties agree that the primary objective remains disarming Hezbollah,” noted a U.S. official, but even differences over how to interpret that point of agreement have caused significant friction.

Naturally, Hezbollah objects to its disarmament and will do anything it can to throw a wrench in Israel-Lebanese cooperation. The terror group has repeatedly rejected any negotiations with Israel as a “trap.” Like Hamas and Iran, Hezbollah aims at Israel’s complete destruction.

Israel understands the game Hezbollah is playing, which is why Israel remains serious and urgent about preventing Hezbollah from rearming itself in southern Lebanon. Despite the promise of peace and economic cooperation with its northern neighbor, Israel carried out yet another wave of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets Thursday.

Hezbollah had placed weapons depots “in the heart of the civilian population,” which “constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” the Israeli military said. “This is yet another example of Hezbollah’s cynical use of Lebanese civilians as human shields, and continued operations from within civilian areas.”

Israel’s position continues to be, “We are prepared to move forward together with the Lebanese government, but it must deal with Hezbollah.”

Yet shifting regional dynamics present a better hope for Israel and Lebanon to work out their differences now than in times past. “It’s a no-brainer for Israel and Lebanon to be talking about resetting relations given the global moment we are in,” Weber told TWS. “With Iran on its heels, Hezbollah being degraded, and Israel increasingly in a mood not to tolerate terrorists on its borders, the moment is ripe for a regional recalibration — and this one makes total sense. Lebanon has been home to a large and historically significant Christian population, providing a basis for a more natural cultural and civilizational alignment with Israel.”

“The United States should also seize this opportunity provided by the Lebanon/Israel talks to re-engage with Lebanon itself,” Weber went on, “and chart a course for the three countries based on the promise of freedom in the Judeo-Christian civilizational ethic — a focus that is quite appropriate as we approach our own 250th anniversary as a nation next year.”