The Knesset's legal adviser, Attorney Sagit Afik, has formally opposed the coalition's proposal to shift the Basic Law: Torah Study from the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee to the Knesset Committee. Afik ruled that if discussions are transferred, the legal counsel of the Constitution Committee would continue to accompany them — a procedural complication that delays the bill's progress, as reported by Eli Hirshman (N12).
The Knesset's legal adviser, Attorney Sagit Afik, has formally opposed the coalition's plan to transfer the Basic Law: Torah Study from the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee to the Knesset Committee, Eli Hirshman reported Monday. Afik determined that the legal counsel of the Constitution Committee would continue to accompany the discussions even after a transfer — a procedural complication that delays the bill's progress. The opinion follows a day of maneuvering in which multiple reports documented the escalating procedural crisis around the bill.
As The Zioneer reported Sunday at 22:41, initial reports by Shachar Glik indicated the coalition intended to bypass the legal adviser's objection altogether and move the bill at the request of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Minutes later, a second bulletin at the same time — citing journalist Daphna Liel (N12) — reported that Constitution Committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman had refused to hold hearings, triggering the transfer move. Rothman's refusal and Afik's ruling have created what Liel described as a legal flaw in the bill before it advances. The legal adviser's formal opposition Sunday followed earlier objections she had already raised to the committee switch, as noted in the initial Glik report.
The Basic Law: Torah Study, which would equate Torah study with military national service, is a cornerstone of coalition efforts to resolve the long-running ultra-Orthodox draft crisis before the Knesset dissolves. The bill passed a preliminary vote in June after splits between coalition factions Shas and Degel HaTorah over scheduling, as The Zioneer reported on June 9 at 19:53. Opposition leaders have condemned the legislation, according to The Zioneer's June 10 report. As reported Monday at 13:34, MK Moshe Gafni (Degel HaTorah) demanded a binding commitment from the Knesset Committee chair before voting, saying he would not "be humiliated again."
It remains unclear how the coalition intends to proceed given the legal adviser's formal opposition and the procedural flaw identified by Liel. The Knesset Committee chair has not yet publicly responded to Gafni's demand for a binding commitment.
4 developments
- StrongKnesset Committee approves Basic Law: Torah Study; coalition races ahead of election recess
- DevelopingDeputy Attorney General rules transfer of Torah Study Basic Law invalid
- DevelopingKnesset Committee approves Basic Law: Torah Study for final readings; plenum vote next week
- DevelopingCoalition Chairman Katz: Knesset Committee Weighing Alternatives to Torah Study Basic Law Wording
Source and signal
- Open-source intake