Holding 28 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, Kadima's entry into the coalition gave Mr Netanyahu a majority virtually unparalleled in the history of the Jewish state.

Despite the loss of Kadima, the prime minister's Likud party will still hold an overall majority of 12 in the Knesset thanks to its alliance with smaller right-wing and religious parties.

But Mr Netanyahu had appeared poised to call an early election in May shortly before he confounded observers by drawing Kadima into government.

Unwilling to yield to vote-winning concessions that smaller coalition partners are likely to demand when the next budget is drawn up in December, Mr Netanyahu is likely to go to the polls early next year.

A general election is not due until October, 2013 but Mr Netanyahu is highly popular in Israel and opinion polls suggest that Likud would again form the next government.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/9406961...