New look for the Israeli centre

Or he can reach out to Yesh Atid, the Israeli Labor Party and Hatnuah to form a government of the centre which would have a handy majority in the Knesset, but might come to grief down the track over the old Palestinian bugbear.

Lapid has deliberately kept his policies vague in this area. In general he is in favour of resuming talks with the Palestinians and a Palestinian state, while retaining the large West Bank settlement blocs under Israeli control, and opposing any division of Jerusalem.

That might be enough to satisfy most of Netanyahu's more right-wing adherents, while leaving the door slightly ajar – as it is always slightly ajar in Israeli politics – to further compromises in the future.

Within hours of the poll, critics of Yesh Atid were gathering. Lapid has been described as vapid, without firm policies, and on the Palestinian question little more than a Netanyahu clone which the experienced Prime Minister will easily be able to manipulate if they go into coalition together. Certainly Lapid has to prove himself, but there is nothing in his actions and pronouncements, during the campaign or since, that suggests he will be anything other than his own man.

The result will be seen with some satisfaction in Washington. The Obama Administration will still have to deal with Netanyahu – it was already prepared for that – but it will be with a Prime Minister unexpectedly chastened by a loss of seats and prestige, and quite likely backed by a coalition that will insist he be less hard-line than in the past.

Hopefully this will mean the two allies will once again be able to resume meaningful discussions rather than the dialogue of the deaf that has characterised their exchanges over the past couple of years.