Israeli Knesset Passes Basic Law on Torah Study Amid Contentious Legislative Push

In the final stretch of the 25th Knesset, the plenum approved the Basic Law on Torah Study with a vote of 63 in favor and 52 against, absent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This law is part of a deal between Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox parties to secure key legislation before the Knesset dissolves. The coalition plans to advance several controversial bills, including the Basic Law on Torah Study, the draft evasion law, and laws aimed at weakening the Attorney General's role and reforming the media sector.

The Basic Law on Torah Study, a flagship initiative for the ultra-Orthodox parties, was passed in a streamlined form after Netanyahu pressured for a compromise. The law now only includes a declarative first clause recognizing Torah study as a fundamental value of the State of Israel, omitting a second clause that would have balanced this recognition against other state values. Deputy Attorney General Avital Sompolinsky warned that even without the second clause, the law could grant yeshiva students benefits similar to those of soldiers, giving courts new tools they previously lacked.

The political reactions were sharply divided. Ultra-Orthodox MK Moshe Gafni praised the law as restoring honor to Torah and its scholars, while opposition leaders including Yair Lapid, Gadi Eizenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman, and others condemned it as damaging to the Israel Defense Forces during wartime. Bennett called supporters of the law "marked with shame forever," and Eizenkot described it as a direct attack on Israel's national backbone.

Additional legislation in the pipeline includes a bill to weaken the Attorney General's powers by allowing the government to reject legal opinions and increasing the Justice Minister's oversight, which Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara strongly opposed. Another major reform is the media overhaul led by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, which critics say favors government-aligned media owners and threatens free press. The bill faces widespread legal and professional opposition, with concerns about procedural flaws and potential Supreme Court invalidation.

Other contentious bills include a kosher certification reform promoted by Justice Minister Yariv Levin to restore exclusive control to the Chief Rabbinate, reversing previous market liberalization, and a law expanding gender segregation in higher education beyond current limits, overturning a Supreme Court ruling. The latter sparked protests and accusations of deliberate harm to women's rights. The coalition aims to push these laws forward rapidly before the Knesset dissolves.

Summary: The Israeli Knesset approved the Basic Law on Torah Study in a 63-52 vote as part of a broader deal with ultra-Orthodox parties to pass several controversial laws before dissolution. The law recognizes Torah study as a fundamental state value, sparking sharp political division and opposition warnings about its impact on the military and legal system. Additional bills targeting the Attorney General's authority, media regulation, kosher certification, and gender segregation in academia are also advancing amid fierce debate.