From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Haredi parties seek to enshrine Torah study in Basic Law to protect draft exemptions
Ariela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Ultra-Orthodox parties United Torah Judaism and Shas call for the rapid advancement of legislation enshrining Torah study as a Basic Law, as a way to further cement military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.
UTJ’s Degel HaTorah faction says that it will advance a new Basic Law entitled “Basic Law: Torah Study” and that it will be brought before the Knesset in the coming days for a preliminary reading.
The proposed bill would establish Torah study as a foundational national value. It states that those who devote themselves to long-term Torah study are to be regarded as performing “meaningful service” to the State of Israel and the Jewish people, which will have “implications for their rights and obligations.”
Shas says the faction sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding that the legislation be brought for a preliminary reading in the Knesset as early as Wednesday, and declaring that if there isn’t a guaranteed majority voting in favor of the bill, the party will not vote in favor of any other coalition legislation.
The move marks the latest effort by Haredi parties to preserve exemptions from military service for full-time yeshiva students, which the High Court of Justice has deemed unconstitutional. The parties have repeatedly threatened to bring down the government over its failure to pass legislation on the matter,
The Times of Israel Community.