MK Moshe Gafni (Degel HaTorah), opening the Knesset Committee meeting, called for a clear commitment from the committee chair on advancing the Basic Law: Torah Study, saying the study of Torah has preserved the Jewish people throughout history. The demand follows stalled coalition progress on the bill.
MK Moshe Gafni (Degel HaTorah) opened a meeting of the Knesset Committee on Sunday morning by demanding a binding commitment from committee chair MK Ofir Katz (Likud) on the progress of the Basic Law: Torah Study. Gafni said he would not 'be humiliated again' if the law were delayed, and stated: 'In all of Jewish history, it was the study of Torah that preserved us.' The bill, which seeks to anchor the principle of full-time Torah study in a Basic Law, has been a key coalition priority for the Haredi parties but has faced opposition from some coalition members and criticism from secular and national-religious politicians as divisive and damaging to IDF service.
The event is the latest in a series of moves around the bill. As The Zioneer reported, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved the law on June 9, the Knesset held a preliminary vote on June 10 (56-43), and a marathon committee debate opened on Sunday, June 28. Silence from the committee chair on the timeline of the next vote leaves the bill's path forward uncertain.
4 developments
- DevelopingMK Moshe Gafni on the Basic Law: Torah Study: 'The State of the Jewish people returns Torah honor to its rightful place'
- DevelopingKnesset Committee approves Basic Law: Torah Study for final readings; plenum vote next week
- StrongGafni demands binding commitment from Knesset Committee before Torah Study Basic Law vote
- StrongCoalition Chairman Katz presents Basic Law: Torah Study in Knesset plenum
Source and signal
- Open-source intake