Israeli Parliament Passes Controversial Basic Law on Torah Study Amid Political Turmoil

On July 13, 2026, the Israeli Knesset approved the Basic Law on Torah Study in a third and final reading, with 63 votes in favor and 52 against. The vote took place in the absence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was part of a political deal between Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox parties. Following the law's passage, the ultra-Orthodox factions issued an ultimatum stating they would not support any coalition legislation unless the next law passed was the Detention Law, a demand contested by the Religious Zionist party which insists the next law should be theirs.

The legislation sparked a fierce political storm, with critics accusing the government of undermining the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and national security. Former Prime Minister and leader of the Yachdav party, Naftali Bennett, condemned the law as "a deliberate and conscious harm to the IDF throughout the war and beyond," calling the current government "the most anti-Zionist in Israel's history." Avigdor Lieberman, head of Yisrael Beiteinu, labeled the law a betrayal of IDF soldiers and vowed to repeal it in the next government.

Opposition voices also included Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael party, who called the law "another stain that will not be erased," and Efrat Rayten of the Democrats, who accused Netanyahu of enshrining draft evasion into law to secure political survival at the expense of equality and security.

In contrast, coalition members praised the legislation. Aryeh Deri, leader of Shas, hailed the law as a historic milestone recognizing the supreme value of the Torah and its scholars, framing it as a victory against those who sought to diminish the yeshiva community. Moshe Gafni, head of Degel HaTorah and the bill’s sponsor, described the law as a moral compass for the state, affirming Torah study as foundational to the Jewish people’s present and future.

After the vote, the Knesset paused to discuss other pending legislation, including the extension of military service, communication laws, and budget transfers. The political crisis continues as the ultra-Orthodox parties leverage their position to influence upcoming legislation before the Knesset’s anticipated dissolution.