Itzik Saidian, a leader of the Combat PTSD protest movement, told the 'Mishpacha' publication that Torah study in yeshiva is just as vital as military service, saying 'our right to the Land of Israel is not because of the government nor because of the army — we merit being here only because of the holy Torah.' The remarks add a prominent war-trauma activist's voice to the debate over the Basic Law: Torah Study.
Itzik Saidian, a co-leader of the Combat PTSD protest movement — a group of veterans demanding better state care for soldiers suffering psychological wounds — has weighed in on the Basic Law: Torah Study debate with a statement that aligns him squarely with the Haredi yeshiva world's position.
Speaking to the Haredi weekly 'Mishpacha', published Thursday, Saidian said: 'The Torah protects us, it defends the soldiers who give their lives for this land. Just as we need an army and must have fighters, here we need young men who engage in Torah.' He framed the Haredi exemption not as a burden but as a spiritual shield.
The statement is striking because Saidian's public profile is grounded in military service and its aftermath — he is not a Haredi politician or rabbi but a combat veteran leading a protest for soldiers' rights. His remarks may sharpen the political calculus around the Torah Study Basic Law, which passed its first Knesset reading last week amid fierce controversy and has been a focus of public debate.
- DevelopingMK Itzik Saidian: 'Place the one who went to battle as a supreme value' in Torah Study Basic Law
- DevelopingLegal adviser backs away from statement that Torah Study Basic Law mandates equal benefits for yeshiva students and IDF soldiers
- DevelopingMK Moshe Tur-Paz says Torah study bill is 'a desecration of Torah', will study without exemption
- StrongFather of fallen soldier Shauly slams proposed Torah Study Basic Law in full quote
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