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Draft law exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service passes Israeli committee
The Knesset committee approved a controversial bill that would exempt ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish students from compulsory military service and define Torah study as the 'highest national value.' The opposition argues the bill is designed to nullify a Supreme Court ruling.
The Knesset's Constitution Committee approved a controversial bill that would pave the way for exempting ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish students from compulsory military service, sending it to the plenum.
According to The Times of Israel, after heated debates, the committee approved the 'Basic Law: Torah Study' bill, which recognizes Torah study as 'one of the fundamental rights of Israeli citizens,' by a vote of 10 to 4. The bill is expected to have its first reading in the plenum on Wednesday.
The coalition government aims to pass the legislation before parliament goes into summer recess on July 16. The bill, presented by ultra-Orthodox parties, seeks to protect Haredi students who refuse military service from criminal prosecution and legal proceedings.
Israel, which does not have a written constitution, regards Basic Laws as having the highest legal authority, equivalent to constitutional provisions. If passed, the bill would add a new Basic Law, altering the constitutional status.
Deputy Attorney General harshly criticizes
Deputy Attorney General Avital Sompolinski sharply criticized the government's move. Emphasizing that the bill contains many unresolved constitutional issues, Sompolinski said, 'It is impossible to proceed to the first reading without giving a clear answer to the question of what the real purpose of this law is.'
Sompolinski argued that if the aim is to regulate the status of the Haredi community in Israeli society, as the bill's authors imply, it would require a much broader discussion involving a balance of 'rights and duties,' but the current bill does not address these fundamental questions.
Strong opposition reaction
Opposition lawmakers stated that the sole purpose of the bill is to nullify the Supreme Court's earlier ruling that declared the exemption of Haredi students from military service illegal, and to bypass this legal obstacle.
Opposition Yesh Atid party lawmaker Moshe Turpaz described the bill as the 'most dangerous' bill in the Knesset and accused its authors of distorting justice. Turpaz, who was ejected from the hall by Likud party faction head Ofir Katz, said: 'This is a malicious attempt to push through the Knesset a special status for Torah students, like salvaging goods from a burning building.'
Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Lieberman opposed the bill, saying that if a new government is formed after general elections, 'all these illegal laws will be repealed.'
Haredim satisfied with decision
United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party leader Yitzhak Goldknopf, representing the Haredi community, defended the necessity of the law during the committee meeting, saying 'Jews are being arrested just for studying Torah.' Goldknopf claimed that students in yeshivas (Torah schools) are treated like 'thieves' or 'terrorists.'
UTJ lawmaker Moshe Gafni, one of the bill's authors, welcomed the decision, saying: 'What has sustained the Jewish people throughout history is Torah study, and now in the Jewish state, it will receive the official status it deserves.'
In Israel, with a population of about 10 million, Haredim make up approximately 13% of the population. Haredim refuse military service on religious grounds. On June 25, 2024, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that there is no legal basis for the exemption of Haredim in a country where military service is compulsory for everyone. Haredi parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government strongly opposed the ruling and increased pressure to draft a new conscription law. Failure to reach an agreement on the law led to a political crisis in the country.
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