Marathon Knesset meetings set to rapidly advance haredi parties’ contentious Torah study bill

The Knesset is preparing for marathon meetings to swiftly advance a contentious bill on Torah study, a legislative push by haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties. The proposed Basic Law: Torah Study aims to formally recognize Torah study as a fundamental value in Israeli society. However, critics contend that the bill, in its current form, could encourage draft evasion by providing continued state benefits to yeshiva students who do not serve in the military.

The legislative process is accelerating, with multiple committee meetings scheduled over several days. The first meeting in the Knesset House Committee is slated to last eight hours, followed by additional sessions on subsequent days. Opposition lawmakers have raised concerns about the compressed timeline, arguing that there is insufficient time for adequate preparation and discussion. This rapid advancement follows a period where haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, had boycotted coalition votes, demanding progress on this specific legislation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly assured the leaders of Shas and United Torah Judaism that he is committed to approving and advancing the laws quickly. While an earlier draft of the bill controversially equated Torah study with IDF service, this wording has been removed in the new proposal. The revised text emphasizes Torah study as a "fundamental value in the heritage of the Jewish people and in the State of Israel." Despite this change, critics maintain that the legislation's implications would still allow draft evaders to receive significant state benefits.

The bill has already passed its preliminary reading and requires further advancement in a Knesset committee before undergoing three more readings for final approval. A procedural decision to move the legislation to the House Committee instead of the Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee has drawn criticism, with the latter committee's chairman questioning the reasoning behind the shift.

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made it clear at the meeting that he is committed to approving the laws and will work to advance them quickly.