Officially, the US is continuing with its efforts to get the process back on track. Israeli and Palestinian negotiators flew to Washington immediately after the freeze announcement, and the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, urged Israel to map out its borders with a projected Palestinian state even without direct negotiations. The US mediator, George Mitchell, also returned to the Middle East on December 12th. But it is difficult to see how the White House will succeed, after its big push over the last year has collapsed.

Mr Netanyahu's biggest domestic headache now is the Labour Party, whose relatively small size belies its importance, because it gives his otherwise right-wing, hard-line government a moderate veneer. The security expertise of its leader, the defence minister, Ehud Barak, is especially valued by the prime minister. Mr Barak himself seems determined to remain in the coalition, despite promises to quit in the absence of progress on peace talks by January 2011. But several Labour ministers are threatening to leave-a move that would trigger a leadership battle within the party.