A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon watchtower photographed from Israel, on the Lebanese side of the border separating northern Israel from southern Lebanon, Nov. 16, 2025. (Credit: Jalaa Mrey/ AFP)
When the Israeli army withdrew from southern Lebanon in May 2000, after nearly twenty years of occupation, many saw it as the end of one of Israel’s oldest security reflexes: the buffer zone. This withdrawal was meant to mark a turning point, signaling a move away from territorial control in favor of a lighter doctrine based on deterrence, intelligence, and technological superiority.In both Gaza and Lebanon, Israel favored periodic military campaigns aimed at weakening its adversaries — a routine cynically described by Israeli officials themselves as “mowing the lawn.” The logic was brutal but clear: keep the enemy weak enough to deter them, without bearing the political, human, and military costs of a prolonged occupation.This logic has now been shattered. Over the years, armed groups, largely supported by Iran, have taken root along...
When the Israeli army withdrew from southern Lebanon in May 2000, after nearly twenty years of occupation, many saw it as the end of one of Israel’s oldest security reflexes: the buffer zone. This withdrawal was meant to mark a turning point, signaling a move away from territorial control in favor of a lighter doctrine based on deterrence, intelligence, and technological superiority.In both Gaza and Lebanon, Israel favored periodic military campaigns aimed at weakening its adversaries — a routine cynically described by Israeli officials themselves as “mowing the lawn.” The logic was brutal but clear: keep the enemy weak enough to deter them, without bearing the political, human, and military costs of a prolonged occupation.This logic has now been shattered. Over the years, armed groups, largely supported by Iran, have taken root...
