Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Is this just another round of fighting—or the start of a permanent shift on Israel’s northern border?
In this week’s Middle East Forum podcast, Eyal Zisser breaks down the escalating war with Hezbollah and why it may not end the way previous conflicts have. He argues that Hezbollah is not a local Lebanese force, but a forward arm of Iran—built, funded, and positioned for exactly this kind of confrontation.
Israel has dealt major blows to Hezbollah’s leadership and capabilities. But Zisser warns that without a decisive outcome, those gains may be temporary—giving Hezbollah space to rebuild once again.
He also explains why the Lebanese state is unlikely to act, how internal divisions paralyze any real response, and why the current conflict is deeply tied to the broader war involving Iran.
The central question: can Israel finally change the equation—or is this cycle set to repeat?
Subscribe for more conversations with leading analysts on the Middle East and beyond.
Is this just another round of fighting—or the start of a permanent shift on Israel’s northern border?
In this week’s Middle East Forum podcast, Eyal Zisser breaks down the escalating war with Hezbollah and why it may not end the way previous conflicts have. He argues that Hezbollah is not a local Lebanese force, but a forward arm of Iran—built, funded, and positioned for exactly this kind of confrontation.
Israel has dealt major blows to Hezbollah’s leadership and capabilities. But Zisser warns that without a decisive outcome, those gains may be temporary—giving Hezbollah space to rebuild once again.
He also explains why the Lebanese state is unlikely to act, how internal divisions paralyze any real response, and why the current conflict is deeply tied to the broader war involving Iran.
The central question: can Israel finally change the equation—or is this cycle set to repeat?
Subscribe for more conversations with leading analysts on the Middle East and beyond.
