The Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved on Tuesday the legislation advanced by the haredi parties seeking to enshrine Torah Study into basic law ahead of its expected upcoming preliminary reading in the Knesset plenum.
Leader of the haredi Shas Party, Arye Deri, has demanded that legislation be advanced, and said on Monday that its passage was a condition for party lawmakers to join coalition votes.
The contentious legislation previously contained wording that called for equality of rights between IDF soldiers who serve and haredim who evade military service.
The far-right Religious Zionist Party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, said on Tuesday that it would not support a bill that calls for equality of rights between IDF soldiers who serve and haredim who evade military service.
Though the contentious wording was subsequently removed, the move to enshrine Torah Study into the country’s Basic Law would still have sweeping implications on the status of haredim who evade service in the country.
The expected advancement of the legislation has led to sharp condemnation from lawmakers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, as well as from opposition party leaders.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett slammed the proposal, saying that the government was now advancing “an exemption law on steroids.”
'Bill is desecration of the Torah'
He said the bill was “a desecration of the Torah and a desecration of the honor of IDF soldiers who are currently fighting in Lebanon.”
Haredi party leaders have continuously pushed for Netanyahu’s coalition to advance legislation that would not increase haredi enlistment. The IDF has repeatedly warned of an urgent manpower shortage, notably after more than two years of war.
In March, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir said the IDF could soon collapse if there is no solution to the manpower shortage.
In a separate decision, the Knesset’s Finance Committee voted to approve ahead of its first reading a bill that aims to change the eligibility criteria for daycare subsidies, basing eligibility solely on a mother’s income. Critics argue that this will encourage state subsidies for parents of draft evaders even amid the IDF’s severe manpower shortage.
The advancement of both bills is reportedly part of an emerging deal between Netanyahu and the haredi parties, ahead of the upcoming Knesset dissolution vote in its second and third readings.
The agreement between Netanyahu and the parties is to push the election date to October 20, rather than hold it in September, as the haredi parties have sought. In return, they would receive advancement on the Basic Law: Torah Study, haredi daycare subsidies law, and the kashrut law, according to a Channel 12 report.
Lawmakers from Shas and UTJ told the Knesset House Committee last week that they wanted to move up the election date to September, before the High Holy Days. Numerous reports have stated that the haredi parties have pushed for this to lead to a better turnout among their voters.
Reportedly, Netanyahu has opposed the move and instead seeks to hold elections in late October, allowing the coalition more time to advance legislation during the Knesset’s final session and potentially achieve military goals.