Lebanon's president declared on Tuesday, standing with US President Donald Trump in Washington, that his nation's core aim is to finally resolve the hostile situation with Israel for good.

The remark, delivered during the first White House visit by a Lebanese president since 2009, marked the peak of a months-long effort in which Joseph Aoun openly advocated direct talks with Israel to allow the Lebanese people to enjoy peace. On June 26, the two nations finalized a US-mediated accord for enduring peace and security, which Aoun described as groundbreaking.

Many Israelis have yet to grasp the historic shift taking place in Lebanon, a development driven mainly by Hezbollah's weakening. The group, which long dominated the country, has lost its veteran leader, much of its fighting capacity, funding streams, and political clout, along with its strategic foothold in Syria.

This shift led to Aoun's election in January 2025, following a two-year presidential vacancy caused largely by Hezbollah's blocking tactics. His selection showed that the organization could no longer force its favored choice or block one it had previously rejected.

Aoun did not simply receive this chance. While serving as head of the Lebanese Armed Forces, he forged strong connections with the United States and major European nations, on which both the military and the broader Lebanese government rely heavily. Under Lebanon's sectarian framework, the presidency is set aside for a Maronite Christian.

Aoun's Election Sparks Optimism in Washington

Aoun's rise, aided partly by active Saudi engagement, brought notable hope amid the destruction from the conflict. Washington echoed this hope, commending his courage and forward thinking.

Aoun stays measured. The 2005 killing of Rafic Hariri, for which a UN-supported court found a Hezbollah member guilty, illustrated the dangers confronting Lebanese leaders who oppose the group.

This background explains both his decision not to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the careful way he has challenged Hezbollah: confronting its control without trying to shut it out of politics completely or trigger an uncontrolled clash.

Hezbollah still holds some power to pressure Lebanon's political bodies, though with far less success than before. Aoun must also steer clear of seeming to swap Iranian control for Israeli influence.

Even so, Aoun has advanced further than any recent Lebanese president. He has resisted Hezbollah and Iranian meddling, backed talks with Israel, and started turning those stances into concrete steps.

The Lebanese Armed Forces stay constrained and not yet fully capable, but under his guidance they are achieving more than previously to reclaim the state's sole control over armed power. This advance stems mainly from Hezbollah's reduced strength, yet also from Aoun's approach and leadership.

Aoun's restraint should not be read as hesitation. The war's destruction has opened a path to loosen Hezbollah's hold on Lebanon, and Aoun seems committed to leading the country through this change.

Political needs and Aoun's personal beliefs now align toward ending Hezbollah's dominance. He grasps the heavy cost Lebanon has borne by permitting an Iranian militia to operate from its territory. He also sees that large parts of the public, especially in the Christian community, have grown tired of Hezbollah and prolonged conflict.

This feeling allows him to follow a different path. His task is to move Lebanon ahead while dealing with an armed group that still draws notable backing from Lebanese Shi'ites.

None of this makes Aoun the full master of Lebanon. Hezbollah remains armed, politically rooted, and able to block or violently disrupt the process. Yet Aoun has so far advanced in the proper direction.

Israel and the US should seize this chance. Across the border stands a Lebanese leader ready to accept political risks to protect his nation's interests and to explain that case openly to his people in Arabic, not only to an American audience in Washington. Aoun's path also matches Israel's strategic goals: moving toward peace with Lebanon and removing Hezbollah's military capabilities.

One clear lesson Israelis took from October 7 was to treat their adversaries' stated aims with seriousness. Yet strategic awareness also calls for spotting when a fresh possibility starts to appear.

The path to peace with Lebanon, and to Hezbollah's disarmament, stays long, challenging, and uncertain. Still, for the first time in years, Israel may have a potential partner in Beirut.

Aoun is no Sadat, and Lebanon is not Egypt in the late 1970s. But history seldom repeats in the same exact way. With the right plan, Aoun could become both a real partner for peace and a key force in restoring Lebanese sovereignty.

Israel and the United States should therefore pair incentives with pressure. Israel should carry out phased, verifiable pullbacks wherever the Lebanese Armed Forces gain effective control.

Washington should keep up military and economic aid tied to clear progress toward the state's monopoly on weapons.

Both nations should sustain pressure on Hezbollah while avoiding moves that publicly embarrass Aoun or let his rivals paint him as Israel's tool. In the Middle East, chances seldom stay open for long. Israel and the United States should act on this one before Hezbollah shuts it down.

The writer is a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute. In the Israeli Defense Intelligence, he served as head of the Hezbollah and Lebanon Branch from 2022 to 2024 and later as senior adviser to the director of IDI from 2024 to 2026.