Haredi Parties Push to Freeze Arrests of Draft Dodgers Amid Torah Study Law Debate
Political negotiations over the Basic Law: Torah Study have reached a critical stage. Following demands from the Likud party to amend the law to retain mainly symbolic language, intense talks were held with Rabbi Dov Lando, leader of Degel HaTorah. Rabbi Lando agreed to soften the law on the condition that a legal opinion guarantees the updated, symbolic text will still provide a legal basis protecting Haredi interests, including exemptions from military service, core curriculum studies, and continued funding for Torah institutions and yeshiva students.
Meanwhile, Haredi rabbis have identified their next legislative target: passing a law to freeze arrests of Haredi draft dodgers. This move aims to calm tensions ahead of the upcoming elections, especially after Channel 13 revealed that police have already changed their policy, with no proactive arrests of Haredi draft dodgers in the past two weeks.
Earlier, coalition chairman MK Ofir Katz announced an agreement with Haredi parties to advance the Basic Law: Torah Study, which includes removing Section 2, known as the "Justice Balancer" clause. This clause could have practical implications on yeshiva funding, core curriculum exemptions, and gender segregation. Likud warned that if this practical clause remained, the law would be buried. Shortly after, the Haredi parties conceded, agreeing to include only the first and central clause affirming that "Torah study is a fundamental value in the heritage of the Jewish people."
The Haredi parties emphasized that this clause is the core and purpose of the law, aiming to enshrine Torah study as a foundational value in Israeli law. In a joint statement, Shas and Degel HaTorah factions said they firmly opposed adding any new clauses to the Basic Law: Torah Study and suggested that any additional provisions should be pursued through separate legislation.
Government legal advisors noted that even with the removal of the contentious clause, the enactment of this Basic Law could influence future petitions related to military conscription, funding, and government operations, describing the law as a guiding compass.
