The watchdog group filed the petition tonight after the Knesset approved the bill, arguing it is a backdoor attempt to enshrine draft exemptions in Israel's quasi-constitutional laws and bypass High Court rulings on equal burden-sharing, according to N12's Dafna Liel.
Tonight, the Movement for Quality Government petitioned the High Court of Justice against the Basic Law: Torah Study, hours after the Knesset approved the bill. The watchdog group argued in its petition that the law is a "backdoor attempt" to insert draft exemptions into Israel's basic laws, bypassing High Court rulings on equal burden-sharing, as reported by N12's Dafna Liel.
The Basic Law: Torah Study, which equates full-time Torah study with military service, has been advancing through the legislative process in recent weeks. As The Zioneer has reported, the bill passed its preliminary reading on June 10, the Knesset Committee approved it for first reading on June 30, and the plenum voted in favor on July 1 with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz supporting it. Tonight's approval marks the next stage in the legislative process.
The petition is the first legal challenge to the law. The High Court has not yet scheduled a hearing.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake