From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Knesset legal adviser: Torah study law could give yeshiva students benefits meant for IDF reservists
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Knesset Legal Adviser Sagit Afik warns that a proposed law declaring Torah study a foundational value of Israel could result in yeshiva students being eligible for study scholarships meant for IDF reservists.
Afik tells a Knesset panel that the law must be clear that it is only “declarative,” otherwise yeshiva students could be eligible for a raft of benefits, Channel 12 reports.
According to the Kan public broadcaster, Yesh Atid MK Naor Shiri says in response that “[the government is] creating the tools to give free degrees to Torah students, the same benefits as reserve soldiers.”
The bill forms part of the Haredi parties’ broader legislative push to preserve mass exemptions for yeshiva students from military service by elevating the status of Torah study. The legislative effort includes a parallel measure to shield draft evaders from criminal enforcement.
The Times of Israel Community.