Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, took a preliminary step Wednesday toward making Torah study a constitutionally protected principle, advancing a proposed Torah Study Basic Law through its first reading.
The bill, sponsored by Knesset members Moshe Gafni, Yaakov Asher, and Yitzhak Pindrus, passed by a vote of 63 to 53. If it becomes law, the legislation would formally designate Torah study as a “fundamental value” of the state.
Supporters of the measure argue it would place Torah study on equal footing with other core constitutional principles. However, legal experts have raised alarms, warning the law could be used to justify exemptions from mandatory military service — and that in cases of conflict between the rights of Torah students and military personnel, the legislation could give constitutional priority to Torah study.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took part in the floor debate and cast his vote in favor of the bill. Four members of the governing coalition broke ranks and voted against it: Yuli Edelstein, Dan Illouz, Sharren Haskel, and Moshe Solomon.
Opposition figures wasted no time condemning the vote. Together chairman Naftali Bennett issued a sharp rebuke, saying, “Immediately after the new government is formed, we will repeal the Basic Law of Torah Humiliation. The law will disappear, but the mark of shame on the miserable Knesset members who supported it will remain.”
Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot was equally critical, stating, “The attempt to turn draft evasion into a Basic Law is a direct blow to our national backbone. At a time when the burden on those who serve is reaching record levels and the price they pay is unbearable, the coalition is choosing to create a bypass route for draft evasion.”
Backers of the legislation framed it differently, saying the bill is meant to restore Torah study to what they view as its rightful place in the Jewish state. Speaking before the full parliament, sponsor Yitzhak Pindrus argued that Torah study stands above military service as the nation’s highest value.
Fellow sponsor Moshe Gafni explained his motivation, saying, “In recent years there has been a degradation in the honor of the Torah. Therefore, under the instruction of the leading Torah sages, I decided to bring this Basic Law to restore the honor of the Torah, which has sustained the Jewish people for thousands of years and distinguishes us from all other nations.”
United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf described the bill’s purpose as recognizing “the Torah of Israel that was given at Mount Sinai,” and argued that Torah students should not be treated “as though he were a thief.”
