MK Yaakov Asher Launches Sharp Attack on Deputy Legal Advisor Over Basic Law on Torah Study

On Monday, MK Yaakov Asher of United Torah Judaism strongly criticized Deputy Legal Advisor Avital Sompolinsky during a heated Knesset committee discussion on the proposed Basic Law on Torah Study. Asher accused Sompolinsky of hypocrisy, calling her legal opinion "a document of duplicity, not a legal document," and challenged the internal contradictions he identified in her analysis. He highlighted ambiguities in the law’s wording and compared it to the Basic Laws enacted during Aharon Barak’s tenure, emphasizing that those laws, despite some vagueness, were passed with clear legislative intent and majority support.

Asher vehemently rejected the legal opinion’s characterization of the Torah as part of the "Jewish people's heritage" and "collective memory." He asserted that the Jewish people's right to the Land of Israel is not based on collective memory or folklore but on explicit Torah promises to Abraham. He stressed that the right to the land is rooted in the daily study of Torah, which sustained the Jewish people through persecution and exile.

The debate grew tense, with Asher requesting order amid interruptions from committee members. The committee chairman reminded members of the tight schedule and the need to allow other organizations to present their views. This discussion takes place amid ongoing tensions over the draft of yeshiva students and efforts by Haredi representatives to enshrine Torah study status in Basic Law. The dispute reflects broader friction between Haredi politicians and the Israeli legal system, including disagreements over yeshiva funding and treatment of Torah scholars.