Idiocy of this government Part 1: If there is no derech eretz, there is no Torah

If one fears G-d, loves Torah, and craves a Torah society, it is not only consistent but also necessary to criticise this Government in the strongest possible terms.

While a potential alternative – a coalition bringing back the radical secularism of Michaeli and Liberman – may be in many respects worse, while judicial reform and wider constitutional change is certainly necessary, while historical inequalities and injustices should be addressed, and while the rights of Jews to live across our historic homeland should be strengthened, none of these factors should give this government a free pass.

Through its aggressive unilateralist approach that has failed to embrace, educate, or at least mollify the public, and that has scorned sincere efforts at compromise, and through the sin’at Yisrael expressed in the uncouth speech of numerous coalition MKs time and again, the failure to fulfil the basic duty of care towards minorities, and the departure from basic Torah values such as kindness, humility, integrity, unity and ahavat yisrael, the Government has increased hatred of Torah, hatred of datim, encouraged yerida and generated chillul Hashem on a global scale.

Look around the Middle East. Even Islamists understand the route to a more religious society is through clinics and schools, the wellbeing of the population, and standing opposed to corruption.

But we don’t need to learn from them – it has been 2,000 years since Hillel advised us, “be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving mankind and drawing them close to the Torah”.