Like most, I know very little about Israeli politics. But aren't elections grand things? When parties can fall from first to fifth?

A pall of stunned silence had descended on the group of about 200 supporters, before Mr Netanyahu's speech, when the initial election exit polls were announced on Israeli television. The largest party in the last parliament, Likud came fifth in the election race. Nobody anticipated a stellar election performance, but nobody expected this.

I just love the crushing defeats, the surprise wins and the people coming up the middle. I love when people speak as a glommy mass and all you are left with to speak for your cause is our dear pal Elsie Wayne and some teenager. You have to scurry to figure out who came fourth and say to yourself - Jeese they came fourth!?! - as if coming fourth either never occurred to you or was now a status symbol of high regard. In the case of Israel yesterday is was a one issue pension-rights party.