Ultra-Orthodox Parties Drop Key Clause in Basic Law on Torah Study After Netanyahu Pressure

The ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and Degel HaTorah have agreed to remove a crucial clause from the Basic Law on Torah Study, effectively making the law declarative rather than enforceable. This development comes after intense negotiations and pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party, who sought to add new provisions not in the original draft.

In a joint statement, Shas and Degel HaTorah emphasized their refusal to alter the law's essence, maintaining only the first and central clause that declares Torah study a fundamental value in Jewish heritage and the State of Israel. However, this concession means the removal of a clause intended to legally balance Torah study with military service obligations, stripping the law of practical enforcement power.

Despite public declarations of firm resistance, the ultra-Orthodox parties ultimately yielded to Netanyahu and Likud’s demands, settling for a symbolic law rather than a substantive solution to the ongoing military conscription crisis. The coalition chairman, Ofir Katz, was involved in the discussions, and the move signals a significant retreat by the ultra-Orthodox factions in the political struggle over the law's content.

This outcome underscores the continuing tension between the ultra-Orthodox community's desire to protect Torah study exemptions and the government's push for broader military service compliance. The Basic Law on Torah Study now stands as a formal declaration without binding legal mechanisms, leaving the core issue unresolved.