The Blogs: Netanyahu has changed the Middle East. Will Israel ensure it lasts? | Barak Seener

Barak Seener argues that Benjamin Netanyahu's post-October 7 strategy has fundamentally altered the Middle East through military campaigns against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, but warns these gains are not irreversible. The piece examines Israel's new security doctrine, its defense-industrial base, and the potential for regional normalization, questioning whether political leadership will ensure the changes endure.

Barak Seener argues that Benjamin Netanyahu's post-October 7 strategy has fundamentally altered the Middle East through sustained military campaigns against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, but warns these gains are not irreversible. The piece traces Netanyahu's ambition, stated on October 9, 2023, to change the region's strategic map, which has since seen Hamas's military infrastructure severely damaged, Hezbollah losing its leader and senior commanders, and the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government removing a key Iranian partner. Seener notes Israel's successful direct campaign against Iran, including the major operation of June 2025, and long-range strikes against Houthi targets. The article examines Israel's new security doctrine emphasizing preventing threats from re-forming, and highlights record defense exports of more than $14.7 billion in 2024. Seener also discusses Netanyahu's long-standing regional outlook, the Abraham Accords, and the potential for normalization with Saudi Arabia based on shared security interests. The piece concludes that Israel's long-term power depends on sustaining economic and scientific conditions for innovation, and that Netanyahu is transforming cooperation with the United States.