The Knesset voted 58-54 in favor of the bill, which will freeze arrests of Haredi yeshiva students who study at least 45 hours per week (40 for kollel students) until November 30, 2026. The bill includes oversight provisions and allows for removal of yeshivas with absenteeism above 20%.
The Knesset gave final approval Tuesday evening to a temporary order freezing arrests of Haredi yeshiva students whose Torah study is their primary occupation. The bill passed its second and third readings by a vote of 58-54, according to the final tally, after earlier reports had cited 59 votes in favor. Five coalition lawmakers opposed the measure, and opposition members shouted "Shame!" as the result was announced. The freeze will remain in effect until November 30, 2026, and requires students to study at least 45 hours per week in a yeshiva or 40 hours per week in a kollel. The legislation includes oversight provisions allowing for the removal of yeshivas with absenteeism above 20%. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was absent from the vote, as The Zioneer reported earlier.
The vote followed a series of developments reported by The Zioneer at 17:46 Jerusalem. Initial reports indicated the bill had passed with 58 votes in favor, with Netanyahu absent and three coalition MKs — Sharren Haskel, Yuli Edelstein, and Dan Illouz — voting against. Later updates noted that Haredi MKs had disclosed a personal interest in the legislation, and that Defense Minister Israel Katz had voted in favor despite the IDF Chief of Staff's warning of a "deep rift." United Torah Judaism leader Moshe Gafni hailed the vote, saying "We promised and we delivered." Opposition leaders Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman condemned the law as "shameful and anti-Zionist," and Lapid and Liberman filed a petition with the High Court of Justice.
The legislation has been in the works for weeks, as The Zioneer has reported. On July 12, the bill was approved for second and third readings. Earlier, the government secretary acknowledged the freeze would likely last about six months, and the bill was later amended to a five-month duration. The Zioneer also reported that a yeshiva student said the freeze would allow him and others to voluntarily enlist, while hundreds of Mir yeshiva students received legal guidance ahead of possible military arrest.
The bill's implementation will depend on the Defense Minister's list of recognized yeshivas and oversight criteria. The High Court petition could challenge the law's constitutionality. Additionally, the temporary nature of the freeze means the issue is likely to return to the legislative agenda before November 2026.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake