Knesset legal adviser Adv. Sagit Afik said in an official letter that the proposed Basic Law on Torah study should be handled by the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, not the Knesset Committee. Her letter followed a heated committee debate on June 22, 2026, after the Knesset Committee recommended that the plenary transfer the bill to itself, a move the plenum approved that same day.
Afik wrote that she had made clear during the debate that the proper committee for a Basic Law of this kind was the Constitution Committee, as originally determined. She warned that moving the bill elsewhere would create significant difficulties and add to problems in the legislative process. She also rejected the argument that the Constitution Committee was too busy, saying workload is not a valid reason to move a bill, especially when the Knesset is nearing the end of its term and the matter concerns a new Basic Law.
In her responses to lawmakers, Afik said the legal advice on the bill in the Knesset Committee would be given by Adv. Dr. Gur Blay, the legal adviser to the Constitution Committee, because of his expertise in drafting a new Basic Law and his familiarity with the subject. She added that the initial procedural problem remained, because the bill was being discussed in a committee that was not authorized to handle it, and the rest of the process needed to meet a very high standard of legality.
Afik also said she learned after the transfer was approved that the Knesset Committee intended to hold urgent, marathon-style hearings. She noted that the Constitution Committee was already in the middle of major, complex legislative discussions, which Blay was handling, so Adv. Esther Chen from the legal department would be assigned to assist. In closing, she urged the committee leadership to ensure especially strict procedural standards, including the hearing of external invitees, MKs and diverse positions, as well as the format and frequency of meetings, in order to repair the procedural defect she identified.
