Movement for Quality Government Files Supreme Court Petition Against Basic Law on Torah Study

Minutes after the Knesset passed the Basic Law on Torah Study by a large majority, the Movement for Quality Government submitted a petition to the Supreme Court challenging the law. The organization argues that the law seeks to constitutionally enshrine arrangements related to Torah study that could impact military conscription and equality in sharing the national burden.

The petition claims that under the guise of a seemingly innocuous name, the law attempts to legalize draft evasion and exemptions by embedding them into Israel's Basic Laws, circumventing Supreme Court rulings on equality in military service. The Movement warned that the law aims to provide the judiciary with a counterbalance against the principle of equality, potentially legitimizing future exemptions and benefits for those avoiding service while soldiers and reservists bear increasing burdens.

The Movement for Quality Government criticized the law as a product of a political deal, hastily legislated without genuine public debate, and fundamentally designed to institutionalize permanent discrimination between citizens. They concluded that the law will not withstand Supreme Court scrutiny.