After October 7 last year—and the beginning of the war started by Hamas’s atrocities, Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to fight until victory rather than a return to the status quo. The Israeli prime minister declared that he would transform the region through the defeat of all enemies. And that applies to Syria most of all.
 
Syria served as the connector for Iran’s proxy war against Israel. By demolishing Hezbollah, Netanyahu created the collapse that drove Bashar al-Assad out of Damascus and into Moscow, ending Iran’s ability to supply its proxies and control the region. 
 
The depth of Israel’s resolve to end five decades of existential threats has been seen since Assad’s collapse. The wholesale destruction of Syrian military assets—especially its long-range and chemical weapons stores—emphasizes how committed Israel is to reshaping the region. The usual tongue-cluckers have objected to this, but Netanyahu will not make Joe Biden’s mistake of allowing terrorists to seize modern weaponry and wait to see where they aim it. 
 
Israel has shown how to fight terrorism and proxy wars. The rest of the world should object less and pay attention more.