Editorial by Naftali Benett published in Arutz Sheva, Israel:

The celebrations of hate against Prime Minister Netanyahu and the right-wing camp since the elections are disgusting, ungrateful, and lack any factual basis.

People of the national camp, raise your heads! First of all, Binyamin Netanyahu has invested his life for the sake of the existence and fortification of the State of Israel. 18 hours a day for years. Tirelessly.

You can argue with him, you can disagree (believe me, I was one of those, and we have disagreements), but his being trampled by the left (“What pardon? Death sentence!” wrote a journalist for Ma’ariv) is delusional at all levels. Disgusting. Simply disgusting.

What, he didn’t do anything good for Israel? No word of thanks? Something small? Second, the analysis as if the public “threw Bibi away” is simply factually incorrect. Wake up. Many more people voted for Netanyahu over Gantz.

The facts: The public elected 55 seats of parties who said in advance and explicitly that they would recommend Netanyahu, and only 44 seats of those who said they would recommend Gantz.

Right-wingers, raise your heads! The public largely elected the right-wing parties or parties that presented themselves as center-right. Only 2 parties – Meretz and Labor – said they supported a Palestinian state, and together they received 11 total seats. The Israeli public is moving to the right. The right-wing concept wins.

What next? The political situation is a draw. Neither party can form a government without the other. The Israeli public wants a broad unity government, without the disqualifications of anyone who is in favor of a Jewish and democratic Israel. Given the results, this is what is right for Israel.

Netanyahu and Gantz, who worked together for 4 years, should sit together until they establish a broad unity government, such as the one in 1984 that saved the Israeli economy and brought us out of the depths of Lebanon.

Friends, we have a state to run. Security, education, health, economics. Life. One last word about one wonderful woman, Ayelet Shaked. So much criticism is cast upon her. So much venom.

I testify that she gave her soul and heart, succeeded in unifying religious Zionism, and no one else would have brought a better result than her.

In short, dear friends in the national camp, raise your heads! The people of Israel are as strong as ever! We will push for unity, and with God’s help we will achieve unity.