An editorial in Yediot Acharonot by Yaron London comments that the right-wing victory leaves the way open for the Likud to implement policies such as “striking the Palestinians to its heart’s content, exiling or killing Arafat, nurturing submissive Palestinian leaders, building communities wherever it wants...,” but that instead of forming such a government "and rising to meet the historic challenge, the Likud leadership has rushed to call on the defeated Labor leadership, almost begging them to join them.” London believes that this is a "strange" phenomenon and suggests that the Likud leadership is "scared" of the results of its own policies, and of the Labor saying, "We were defeated, now let's see you use this chance properly."
HaTzofeh editorialized, “If the Labor Party persists in its refusal to join a unity government, and Shinui persists in its opposition to sitting in the government together with Shas and the hareidim, Sharon’s obligation will be to implement the will of the electorate. The electorate delivered a harsh blow to the left wing, and it is up to Sharon to prove that the right wing has a platform and a program for all areas of life.” The paper urges the NRP to act as a “bridge between all the streams in order to prevent... a possible civil war, Heaven forbid.”
HaTzofeh editorialized, “If the Labor Party persists in its refusal to join a unity government, and Shinui persists in its opposition to sitting in the government together with Shas and the hareidim, Sharon’s obligation will be to implement the will of the electorate. The electorate delivered a harsh blow to the left wing, and it is up to Sharon to prove that the right wing has a platform and a program for all areas of life.” The paper urges the NRP to act as a “bridge between all the streams in order to prevent... a possible civil war, Heaven forbid.”