ByKESHET NEEV

JULY 9, 2026 15:51

Updated: JULY 9, 2026 17:38

Tensions flared during a Knesset House Committee discussion on the Basic Law: Torah Study measure on Thursday when combat veterans directly challenged haredi lawmakers and insisted the government first meet soldiers needs with stronger backing for those facing post-traumatic stress disorder before moving the legislation forward.

The veterans rose from their seats and approached the lawmakers. Yossi Sardi stepped forward to confront United Torah Judaism leader MK Yitzhak Goldknopf and called for laws that aid IDF personnel instead of advancing the current bill.

One veteran informed the committee that political leaders had postponed adequate help for IDF veterans and active troops over six years.

"Promises have continued for six years; how much longer can this go on?" he stated. "We have given our blood."

The disruption forced a pause in proceedings before the session resumed to consider the legislation.

Veterans Urge Knesset to Place Soldiers First

Einav Danino, mother of Ori Danino who was killed while held by Hamas, addressed the panel earlier and stressed that troops deserve priority, describing how the IDF returned her son's remains from Gaza.

"My Ori was killed after eleven months in captivity, and I carry that grief because of the soldiers who returned him to me; they bear that weight too. I would never have received Ori without their efforts," she said.

The House Committee met to review revisions to the disputed bill that would establish Torah study as a core value within the nation's Basic Law ahead of its second and third readings.

The measure forms part of a package critics say promotes draft avoidance and alters the standing of yeshiva students who skip service, allowing them to retain state support.

Revisions followed warnings from Knesset legal adviser Sagit Afik that the current text could extend benefits such as academic scholarships to haredim who avoid military duty in ways comparable to those given IDF reservists.

After those cautions, MK Moshe Gafni of the haredi Degel HaTorah faction urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to advance the bill without alterations.

Gafni's stance risked halting progress on the measure that haredi parties Shas and United Torah Judaism have promoted, adding strain inside Netanyahu's coalition before the Knesset final week of action.

Coalition whip Ofir Katz of Likud, who leads the House Committee handling the bill, noted that lawmakers could still file objections.

His comments highlighted the chance that internal disputes might block advancement.

The proposal belongs to a group of haredi-supported measures moving ahead amid reports of deals between the haredi parties and Netanyahu.

The coalition has pursued rapid legislative action before the Knesset closes its summer session to pass as many items as possible ahead of upcoming elections.

The haredi parties withheld coalition votes last month to delay other measures while pressing for faster movement on their priorities.

Additional Measure Would Pause Arrests of Haredi Draft Evaders

Among the most debated haredi-backed items are the Basic Law: Torah Study proposal and a separate bill that would temporarily halt arrests of haredi draft evaders.

The arrest-freeze bill will remain under review in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Thursday following extended sessions.

The Basic Law: Torah Study text states that Torah study represents a core value in Jewish heritage and in the State of Israel.

It calls for recognition of Torah study as a fundamental state value to achieve fairness alongside other national principles.

The current language in the Basic Law is expected to open pathways for benefits and rights for haredi men who skip service.

An earlier draft contained wording that placed Torah scholars on equal footing with IDF service members; that phrasing was removed from the updated version.

Critics maintain the bill could still permit such comparisons. Some coalition lawmakers have voiced opposition and voted against it.

Netanyahu attended the plenum last week to support the measure during its first reading.

Haredi parties have pressed the coalition for steps that avoid raising haredi enlistment rates. The IDF has warned repeatedly of a severe personnel shortage after more than two years of conflict.

In April the High Court of Justice directed the state to remove key financial supports from draft evaders and to begin criminal proceedings against haredi men who avoid service.

In March IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir stated the military could soon face collapse without a resolution to the manpower shortfall.