Israel's Knesset passed the contentious Basic Law: Torah Study in a first reading Wednesday evening, with 63 MKs in favor and 53 against. Opposition leader Naftali Bennett said he would cancel the law immediately when his party returns to government.
The Basic Law: Torah Study, which equates Torah study with military service in constitutional terms, passed its first Knesset reading Wednesday evening with a vote of 63 in favor to 53 against, according to N12 journalist Daphna Liel. The bill now moves to committee review before a second and third reading. The vote came after a contentious debate, with the coalition racing to advance the legislation before the upcoming election recess.
Opposition leader Naftali Bennett responded to the vote by vowing to cancel the law immediately upon returning to power. Bennett's statement aligns with earlier opposition criticism that the bill undermines the principle of equal service. The bill has been a flashpoint in Israeli politics, having passed its preliminary reading in June and cleared the Ministerial Committee for Legislation earlier this week.
5 developments
- StrongKnesset Committee approves Basic Law: Torah Study; coalition races ahead of election recess
- DevelopingKnesset advances Basic Law equating Torah study with IDF service
- StrongMinisterial committee approves Basic Law: Torah Study; Haredi parties call it merely declarative without equal-status clause
- StrongKnesset Committee approves transfer of Torah Study Basic Law; legal adviser opposes
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