Bangladesh, Nov. 7 -- For over four decades, Lebanon has lived under the shadow of proxy wars, external manipulation, and internal fragmentation. The turning points that shaped this predicament are well known: the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon that lasted from 1978 to 2000, the rise of Hezbollah as an armed non-state actor, and the subsequent erosion of Lebanese state authority. Now, a quarter of a century later, a rare opportunity has emerged-one that could finally reverse that trajectory. With President Michel Aouns recent declaration that Lebanon must pursue negotiations with Israel through diplomatic means, the idea of peace between the two countries, long deemed impossible, is once again on the table.

But this time, the cir...