A committee approved the advancement of the softened version of the Basic Law: Torah Study on Thursday evening, according to reports. The bill, which would enshrine Torah study at a quasi-constitutional level, has been moving through the Knesset in recent weeks.
The Knesset Committee approved a softened version of the Basic Law: Torah Study for second and third readings on Thursday evening at 19:54 Jerusalem. The bill, which would enshrine Torah study at a quasi-constitutional level, passed in the committee following earlier stages of the legislative process. MK Moshe Gafni (Degel HaTorah), who proposed the bill, said the law 'restores Torah study to its proper place in the Jewish state,' according to journalist Eli Hirschman.
The legislation has moved through several stages in recent weeks. On Tuesday June 30, the Knesset Committee approved the bill for its first reading, as The Zioneer reported. Earlier, on June 9, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved the bill, with Haredi parties describing the then-draft as 'merely declarative.' By Wednesday July 1, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz voted for the bill in the plenum, sparking chaos. The current 'softened' version reflects reported compromises, including the removal of a clause equating Torah study with IDF service, as The Zioneer reported on Thursday at 18:09.
The bill is expected to go to a final plenum vote next week, though no date has been set. Coalition sources have indicated the government is racing to pass the legislation before the election recess.
What remains open: It is unclear whether the bill will secure the 61-vote majority required for a Basic Law in the final plenum vote, given the opposition's continued protests and the reported softening of the text.
5 developments
- DevelopingMK Moshe Gafni on the Basic Law: Torah Study: 'The State of the Jewish people returns Torah honor to its rightful place'
- StrongKnesset Committee approves Basic Law: Torah Study; coalition races ahead of election recess
- StrongMK Avichay Buaron: Torah Study Basic Law should have been enshrined long ago
- StrongKnesset Committee approves transfer of Torah Study Basic Law; legal adviser opposes
Source and signal
- Internal intake