Can Lebanon and Israel Actually Make Peace Stick?

After a historic US-brokered meeting between Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors, the question of a durable peace hangs on one unresolved variable: the relationship between the Lebanese state and Hezbollah. This episode unpacks how Hezbollah functions as a parallel state — running hospitals, schools, and its own armed forces — and why the Lebanese Armed Forces coordinates rather than confronts it. We explore the sectarian divides, the constitutional deadlock, and the self-reinforcing cycle that makes disentangling the two nearly impossible without causing a humanitarian crisis. If you've ever wondered whether "Lebanon" can actually deliver on a peace deal, this episode is for you.