Constitutional Value
The law was passed by a majority of 63 votes to 52, declaring that Torah study is a “fundamental value of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”

Legal experts warn that enshrining Torah study in a Basic Law grants courts and the government new constitutional tools to justify exemptions, funding, and privileges for yeshiva students, thereby challenging equality in compulsory military service.

Temporary Immunity
A parallel law halts arrests and investigations of recognized yeshiva students until November 2026.

Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir opposed the measure, stating it “clearly contradicts the army’s needs” and encourages draft evasion.

Army Shortages
The Israeli army reported a shortage of 15,000 soldiers, including 7–8,000 combat troops.

Service length was extended from 30 to 32 months, although the army requested 36 months. Soldiers already serving face longer terms, while thousands of Haredim receive protection from prosecution.

Zamir warned of a “deep rift” with reservists and active soldiers who have borne the burden of prolonged conflict.

صورة المقال

Collapse of the Model
Analyst Avi Ashkenazi (Maariv) argued that the debate has shifted from when to draft the Haredim to whether compulsory conscription is viable at all.

Israel’s “people’s army” has long integrated immigrants and built a shared identity. Current exemptions, however, threaten to undermine this social cohesion.

Sense of Humiliation
A Haaretz editorial emphasized soldiers’ resentment: after three years of war, laws should honor those who serve, not protect draft evaders.

Even if the Supreme Court overturns the laws, their symbolic impact will remain, delaying Haredi enlistment and depriving the army of needed manpower.

Likud MP Tali Gotlieb demanded Zamir’s dismissal, accusing him of political interference and highlighting tensions between military professionalism and political authority.

صورة المقال

Political Deal
This legislation is part of a broader coalition agreement: Haredi parties gain Torah provisions, draft exemptions, and kosher certification reforms, while in return they support measures that limit judicial independence and tighten media oversight.

A Channel 12 poll
showed that 62% oppose the deal, including 18% of coalition voters.

Conclusion
The controversy goes beyond the number of draft evaders. It strikes at the trust between soldiers and the state, raising an existential question: is military service still the foundation of citizenship, or has it become a selective obligation that risks tearing apart Israel’s social fabric?

The law was passed by a majority of 63 to 52 votes, declaring Torah study a “fundamental value of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”

Legal experts warn that enshrining Torah study in a Basic Law gives courts and government new constitutional tools to justify exemptions, funding, and privileges for yeshiva students, thereby challenging equality in compulsory military service.