Knesset passes in first reading bill to enshrine Torah study into Basic Law

Israel's Knesset has passed a contentious bill in its first reading that aims to establish Torah study as a fundamental value within the nation's Basic Law. The legislation, strongly advocated by haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties, received support from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who attended the plenum to vote in favor.

The bill's passage follows weeks of pressure from haredi party leaders who had threatened to boycott coalition votes and disrupt the legislative agenda. Their demands centered on the rapid advancement of several haredi-backed bills. The proposed law is part of a broader initiative that critics contend could facilitate draft evasion by allowing yeshiva students to continue receiving state benefits, even as the Israel Defense Forces face a significant manpower crisis.

Prime Minister Netanyahu was observed conferring with Shas party leader Arye Deri and other haredi lawmakers before the vote. The Knesset's House Committee had scheduled three days of intensive meetings to expedite the legislation this week, a move prompted by the haredi boycott announcement. The bill, sponsored by MK Moshe Gafni of the United Torah Judaism Party and other haredi MKs, had already secured government backing before its preliminary reading last month.

Despite broad coalition backing for the bill's advancement, some lawmakers within Netanyahu's own coalition have publicly voiced opposition and voted against it. MKs Dan Illouz and Yuli Edelstein from the ruling Likud party, along with Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel and MK Moshe Solomon, have been vocal critics. MK Gafni argued in the plenum that the law should have been enacted at the state's founding, stating, "I do not believe there is a single member of the Knesset, whether Jewish or non-Jewish, who, if they set politics aside, would oppose this."

The legislation proposes that Israel recognize "Torah study as a fundamental value in the State of Israel in order to create a balance of justice in relation to other fundamental values in the state." It emphasizes Torah study as a "fundamental value in the heritage of the Jewish people and in the State of Israel." The bill will now proceed to the Knesset House Committee for further debate and requires approval in two more readings to become law.

“

I do not believe there is a single member of the Knesset, whether Jewish or non-Jewish, who, if they set politics aside, would oppose this. This law should have been enacted when the State was established.