The Knesset Committee approved the coalition's proposal to transfer the Basic Law: Torah Study from the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee to the Knesset Committee, according to reports. However, Knesset Legal Adviser Attorney Sagit Afik formally opposed the move, ruling that the Constitution Committee's legal counsel would continue to accompany the discussions if transferred, a procedural complication that could slow the bill's progress.
The Knesset Committee voted Monday afternoon to approve the coalition's request to move the Basic Law: Torah Study from the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee to the Knesset Committee, despite the Knesset Legal Adviser's formal opposition earlier in the day. The vote passed, clearing the way for the bill to be handled by a committee with a coalition majority, chaired by MK Ofir Katz. The development follows hours of procedural maneuvering first reported by The Zioneer on Sunday evening.
As The Zioneer reported on Sunday at 22:41 Jerusalem, the coalition's plan to bypass the Knesset Legal Adviser's expected objection was first reported by Shachar Glik, who noted that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had requested the transfer and that Religious Zionism sought to distance itself from direct involvement. Moments later, at 22:41, Daphna Liel (N12) reported that MK Simcha Rothman, chairman of the Constitution Committee, had refused to hold hearings on the bill, creating what she described as a "legal flaw." Also at 22:41, Eli Hirshman (N12) reported that Knesset Legal Adviser Attorney Sagit Afik had formally opposed the transfer, ruling that the Constitution Committee's legal counsel would continue to accompany discussions even after a move — a procedural complication that could delay the bill's progress.
This thread is the latest in a longer legislative saga. As The Zioneer reported on June 9–10, the bill passed a preliminary Knesset vote 56-43 and a ministerial committee approval, but Haredi parties called it "merely declarative" without an equal-status clause. Negotiations over wording changes, led by Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, were reported on June 9. Opposition leaders Bennett, Lieberman, and Eisenkot condemned the bill after the preliminary vote on June 10.
What remains open: whether the Knesset Legal Adviser's procedural ruling will succeed in slowing the bill's advancement, and what the next formal step will be in the Knesset Committee. Further debate is expected.
4 developments
- DevelopingKnesset committee advances Basic Law equating Torah study with IDF service
- StrongOpposition leaders blast Basic Law on Torah study after preliminary Knesset vote
- DevelopingShas and Degel HaTorah Torah Study Basic Law bills diverge in Knesset vote schedule
- DevelopingChanges to Torah Study Basic Law being negotiated after preliminary vote
Source and signal
- Internal intake