Article updated: 1/23/2013 6:30 PM

Rise of Israeli centrist raises hopes for peace

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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman greet their supporters in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. A badly weakened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scrambled Wednesday to keep his job by extending his hand to a new centrist party that advocates a more earnest push on peacemaking with the Palestinians after Israel's parliamentary election produced a stunning deadlock.

Associated Press

Yair Lapid gestures as he delivers a speech at his "Yesh Atid" party in Tel-Aviv, early Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. The party, formed just over a year ago, outdid forecasts by far and are predicted to capture as many as 19 seats, becoming parliament's second-largest party, after Netanyahu's Likud-Beiteinu bloc, which won 31, according to the exit polls.

Associated Press

Naftali Bennett, head of Israel's Jewish Home party, greets his supporters at the party's headquarters in the city of Ramat Gan, Israel Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his hard line allies fared worse than expected in a parliamentary election Tuesday, preliminary results showed, possibly forcing him to reach across the aisle and court a popular political newcomer to cobble together a new coalition.

Associated Press

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The unexpectedly strong showing by a new centrist party in Israel's parliamentary election has raised hopes of a revival of peace talks with Palestinians that have languished for four years under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.