This weekend, four Western powers, the UK, France, Australia, and Canada formally recognised Palestine, issuing grand speeches about statehood. But while the world celebrated a symbolic breakthrough, Benjamin Netanyahu was busy charting a different course, one that could reshape the Middle East forever. In the same breath that he rejected Palestinian sovereignty, Netanyahu praised “progress” in talks with Syria, a country crippled by war, sanctions, and economic collapse. Why does Israel’s prime minister seek validation from Damascus? Because for Netanyahu, this is not about peace but power. His long-standing vision of a “Greater Israel” is quietly unfolding - through wars, settlements, and now diplomacy. As world leaders deliver ceremonial gestures, Netanyahu is redrawing borders in real time. The contradiction is stark: Palestine recognised on paper, Israel expanding on the ground. The question is, who is really shaping the future of the region?