During a Knesset committee discussion on the Basic Law: Torah Study, combat-stress veteran Eli Hirshman said 'every day, all day, blood is spilled — you created cartridges here.' Journalist Daphna Liel reports that fighters are applying 'immense pressure' to have IDF service defined as a supreme value, warning that otherwise the legal status of fighters and Torah learners would remain the same.
A Knesset committee discussion on the Basic Law: Torah Study on Tuesday morning saw a sharp intervention from combat-stress veteran Eli Hirshman, who told lawmakers, "Every day, all day, blood is spilled — you created cartridges here." The testimony comes as journalist Daphna Liel (N12) reports that combat veterans are applying "immense pressure" to have IDF service defined as a "supreme value" in the law, warning that otherwise the legal status of soldiers and Torah learners would remain equivalent.
The incident follows a disruption earlier in the same session, when a person initially reported as a lawmaker with PTSD shouted at the committee. By 11:32 Jerusalem, the protester was identified as combat veteran Yosi Sahardi, who yelled, "What's wrong with you? How do you run a country like this?" The sequence of events was first reported by Liel, and the identification was corrected within the same hour.
The Basic Law: Torah Study, which would constitutionally equate Torah study with national service, has drawn opposition from multiple quarters. As The Zioneer has reported, Knesset Legal Adviser Sagit Afik warned that the bill could legally obligate granting Torah learners benefits currently reserved for combat soldiers. MK Itzik Saidian (Likud) called for placing those who serve in the military as a supreme value. Tzvika Grenglik, father of a fallen soldier, said Torah study existed before the law and the public would hold lawmakers accountable.
The demand for "supreme value" status for military service remains a key point of contention. The bill has passed its first reading, and the legislative process continues with ongoing pressure from veterans and bereaved families.
5 developments
- DevelopingMK Itzik Saidian: 'Place the one who went to battle as a supreme value' in Torah Study Basic Law
- DevelopingGoldknopf draws fire for 'Nukhba' Torah study comparison
- DevelopingKnesset Committee erupts in heated debate over Torah Study Basic Law and draft crisis
- StrongGafni demands binding commitment from Knesset Committee before Torah Study Basic Law vote
Source and signal
- Internal intake