Knesset passes contentious Basic Law declaring Torah study a constitutional value

The Knesset passed a contentious Basic Law on Monday, declaring Torah study a "foundational value" of the Jewish people and the State of Israel. The legislation, approved 63-52, aims to make it harder for the High Court of Justice to rule against blanket military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men, a practice the court deemed illegal in 2024. This comes as the IDF urgently needs 12,000 new recruits amid ongoing conflict.

United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni stated, "This Basic Law will serve as the state’s moral compass."

Opponents, including opposition leader Yair Lapid, condemned the law, arguing it elevates Torah study above other national values and "spits in the face of IDF soldiers." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was absent from the vote. The Movement for Quality Government has already petitioned the High Court of Justice to strike down the Basic Law, calling it an attempt to "turn draft evasion into a constitutional value."