Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz voted in favor of the Basic Law: Torah Study moments ago, sparking chaos in the Knesset plenum. The highly contentious bill enshrines yeshiva study exemptions from military service, with opponents accusing the coalition of undermining security at a time of ongoing threats.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz both voted in favor of the Basic Law: Torah Study as the Knesset plenum session descended into chaos Wednesday evening. The legislation, which would constitutionally enshrine exemptions from military service for full-time yeshiva students, passed its first reading minutes later, according to the desk's latest report at 19:48 Jerusalem.
The vote capped a dramatic evening that the reported from 19:48 Jerusalem, when a succession of versions rolled in: Netanyahu's arrival to support the bill (after missing the preliminary reading), the revelation that MKs Dan Illouz (Likud) and Yuli Edelstein (National Unity) voted no, and the confirmation that MK Sharren Haskel (National Unity) and Elazar Illouz (Likud) also broke coalition ranks. By 19:48, the Knesset officially approved the bill in first reading.
As The Zioneer reported on June 8, Netanyahu met with MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) to lock in coalition support ahead of the legislative push. At 20:39 Jerusalem on June 30, five coalition MKs — including Haskel, Solomon, Illouz, Edelstein, and Maoz — announced they would vote against the final version, citing security concerns. Opposition leaders Bennett, Lieberman, and Eisenkot had already condemned the bill after its preliminary passage on June 10, per the desk's earlier coverage.
The vote took place against a backdrop of separate diplomatic moves: Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam stated Wednesday that his government would not submit to Hezbollah blackmail but would seek to avoid armed conflict, as The Zioneer reported. The security context has fueled opposition claims that the coalition is undermining Israel's preparedness at a time of ongoing threats.
The final margin in the plenum remains unclear; the reported 'commotion' may reflect the narrow vote count.
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