The Middle East’s latest crisis – the standoff between the US and Iran – seems to be maintaining the status quo at the edge of dangerous escalation, yet people is the region can find cause to be relived as one of the prime actor in the game has been incapacitated - at least for a short while.

Those who were horrified by the re-election of right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist party can have a moment of respite. His party could not form a coalition necessary to rule as he was unable to convince ex-defence minister Avigdor Lieberman to abandon a key demand and join the government.  As a result, Israel will now head to the polls again on Sept 17, just over five months after an April election that saw Netanyahu and his right-wing and religious allies win a majority.

On the back of an expensive and divisive election the fresh polls will be a great source of discord and uncertainty. What results this new poll throws up is not yet known. Netanyahu Lukid party would still hope to retain the majority but we have seen snap elections surprise even the most secure governments – as former UK Prime Minister Theresa May discovered to her dismay. With allegations of corruption also dogging Netanyahu and become a deciding factor in the failure of the coalition talks, people in the region can hope for an electoral upset.

The alternatives for Israeli leadership are not entirely satisfactory from the regional security viewpoint. The right remains in the ascendency in the country and any other leader probably belong to nationalist-religious combine as well. Yet many would rest easy knowing that Netanyahu is not at the helm; his oppressive and aggressive use of violence against the Palestinians and his instigation of the Iran-US conflict will not be missed.