Israel's Knesset voted 56-43 on Wednesday to advance a controversial Basic Law that would enshrine Torah study as a foundational value of the state and recognize long-term Torah study as service to Israel and the Jewish people. Sponsored by the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party and backed by Shas, the bill would effectively place full-time yeshiva study on a similar footing to military service, granting those engaged in it rights equivalent to those received by soldiers.

The legislation comes at the center of one of Israel's most divisive political battles: the exemption of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men from military service. The issue has intensified since the outbreak of the Gaza genocide and broader regional war, as demands for Haredi conscription have grown while ultra-Orthodox parties have fought to preserve exemptions following a 2024 High Court ruling that deemed them unconstitutional. Although the coalition backed the bill's preliminary passage, government minister Ze'ev Elkin said future support depends on removing language explicitly comparing Torah students to military servicemembers.

The vote also exposed broader political maneuvering inside the Knesset. According to Hebrew media reports, Palestinian citizens of Israel represented by Hadash-Ta'al and Ra'am abstained under an understanding with the ultra-Orthodox parties, which reportedly agreed to block legislation promoted by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir targeting the use of mosque loudspeakers in exchange for non-opposition to the Torah study bill.

Senior ultra-Orthodox lawmakers celebrated the vote as a historic victory, with United Torah Judaism MK Yisrael Eichler calling it a "declaration of holy war" against those he said persecute Torah scholars, while other party leaders accused opponents of antisemitism and judicial overreach. The bill must still pass committee review and three additional Knesset readings before becoming law, but its advancement marks a major step in the struggle over military service, religion, and the balance of power between Israel's judiciary, secular establishment, and ultra-Orthodox political bloc.

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