Israeli War Veterans Demand Legal Recognition in Torah Study Law Amid Emotional Knesset Debate

The Knesset committee continues debating the Basic Law on Torah Study, with war veterans attending to demand legal recognition. One veteran recounted the harrowing experience of collecting the remains of fallen comrades, describing how they were given bags and urged to hurry before nightfall, fearing wild animals would consume their friends' bodies. He emotionally stated, "We crawled on our knees collecting the parts of our friends one by one. I cannot put anything in a bag today. I hope you never know what I am talking about."

In the same session, Einav Danino, mother of Uri Danino who was kidnapped and killed by Hamas after 11 months in captivity, shared her grief and solidarity with the veterans. She emphasized the heavy toll, noting 109 war veterans have already been lost and pleaded, "We must not lose one more. Wrap them in care. Be everything for them. What else do they ask?"

Yahadut HaTorah chairman MK Yitzhak Goldknopf expressed deep empathy and pledged to champion a law that supports these veterans, promising to fight for it "to the last drop of my blood." Meanwhile, the Likud party seeks to amend the bill to a declarative statement only. However, Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni has demanded the law pass "as is," rejecting any changes. A senior Degel HaTorah official confirmed no coordination occurred with them regarding amendments, calling any unilateral changes unauthorized.

The ultra-Orthodox parties insist that Torah study be enshrined as a fundamental value with real legal and budgetary implications, not merely symbolic. They demand the original wording to secure economic benefits for yeshiva students, including subsidized housing, funding for yeshivas and kollels, exemption from core curriculum studies, equal status for avreichim and students, and promotion of gender segregation in public spaces.