Senior religious Zionist rabbis published a statement Tuesday stating that religious Jews should work with the current government despite what are perceived as flaws in its creation and composition.
The 17 rabbis, writing on behalf of the 'Rabbanei Torat Haaretz Hatovah' (Rabbis of the Torah of the Good Land) organization, stated that the government is flawed because "relies on the presence of a non-Jewish minority that does not recognize the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish people," and that "key parts of the Jewish parties in the government seek to abolish the Jewish identity of the State of Israel."
Despite this, they wrote that "this is the government in Israel" and therefore, "its instructions must of course be accepted in all areas, unless its instructions are contrary to the Torah."
In addition, they wrote that "one must cooperate with every incumbent in the government, when it comes to the good of the State of Israel and its progress in all its areas."
The signatories to the letter include Rabbi Eitan Eisman, Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Rabbi Chaim Druckman, Rabbi Tzefania Drori, Rabbi Eliezer Waldman, Rabbi David Chai HaCohen, Rabbi Uri Cohen, Rabbi Dov Lior, Rabbi Elyakim Levanon , Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed, Rabbi Yaakov Filber, Rabbi Isser Klonsky, Rabbi Chaim Steiner, Rabbi Mordechai Sternberg, Rabbi Aryeh Stern, Rabbi Yaakov Shapira, and Rabbi Yosef Artziel.