Fear of ‘ freiing’

There seems to be little doubt that in Israel today the dysfunctional political tensions within the government; the scope and persistence of anti- government demonstrations; and the level of intergroup conflict are of great concern. They appear to have exceeded the threshold beyond which the stability of the state and its major institutions, its economic life, civil society, and the individual’s sense of being a state citizen have come under threat.

As Roy Pinchot (“The ‘ freier’ and the coronavirus,” October 10) points out, one could be forgiven for believing that many politicians are simply uneducated about what it takes to preserve the inherently fragile social harmony that is so essential to sustain and reproduce a liberal democracy over time.

Different writers have identified a number of elements of good character that need to be engendered and reinforced among the citizenry to ensure social reproduction. With a view to serving as a school for these politicians “while standing on one foot,” some of these virtues are summarized here for their enlightenment: 1) Law- abidingness

2) Tolerance of difference

3) Avoiding dependence on others

4) Loyalty to the core principles of the society 5) Willingness to defend one’s country

6) The work ethic

7) Respect for the rights of others and for the political leadership – the virtues of being able to forge a common purpose in a diverse society, being able to resist pandering to immoderate public demands, and narrowing the gap between what is popular and what is wise.

At some point, Israel will have to confront the challenges of reforming some of her major institutions – political, legal, educational and social – in order to strengthen these virtues if it is to ensure that the tears in its social fabric can be mended.

ALLAN BOROWSKI Jerusalem