Movement for Good Governance Files Supreme Court Petition Against Basic Law on Torah Study

Minutes after the Knesset approved the Basic Law on Torah Study in its second and third readings, the Movement for Good Governance submitted a petition to the Supreme Court challenging the law. The organization, which is also leading the ongoing Supreme Court petition on military conscription, argues that the new law aims to constitutionally legitimize exemptions from military service for Torah students, thereby circumventing previous court rulings on equality in burden sharing.

The petition states that the law attempts to enshrine avoidance of military service as a constitutional value, effectively creating a legal basis for exemptions and benefits to those who do not serve, while combat soldiers and reservists bear the heavy burden. The Movement criticized the law as a rushed political compromise passed without genuine public debate, designed to institutionalize permanent discrimination between citizens.

The Movement for Good Governance pledged to continue its legal battle to annul the law and enforce equal application of the Security Service Law, emphasizing the need for equality in national service obligations. The petition highlights the tension between the new Basic Law and the principle of equality upheld by the Supreme Court in previous rulings.