Knesset Legal Adviser Adv. Sagit Afik warned Tuesday during a Knesset Committee discussion that the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study could have far-reaching practical consequences unless it is explicitly clarified that it is purely declarative.
According to Afik, if the law establishes Torah study as a fundamental national value with operative legal significance, it could eventually require the state to grant yeshiva students benefits similar to those provided to IDF veterans, including "From Uniform to Studies" scholarships, discounts on land purchases, and other state benefits.
"The moment this value is elevated-not only in a declarative sense but also with practical implications-it is possible that, based on other principles, it would be necessary to provide Torah scholars with similar scholarships in order to create equal benefits," Afik said.
She also stressed that the Knesset Committee must make the legislature's intent unmistakably clear as it prepares the bill for its second and third readings.
Earlier this week, when deliberations on the bill began, Afik warned that during its first reading it had not been clarified whether the legislation was intended to be merely declarative or to carry practical legal consequences.
The Deputy Attorney General and Finance Ministry representatives also cautioned that if the law has operative effect, it could influence issues related to military conscription, economic benefits, and budgetary policy.
The bill's sponsors and supporting lawmakers have emphasized throughout the discussions that its purpose is not to grant exemptions from military service, but rather to enshrine Torah study as a foundational value of the State of Israel and provide courts with an additional consideration when balancing competing legal values.
MK Yinon Azoulay (Shas) said the law is intended to serve as "another weight on the scales" for judges, while MK Yitzhak Pindrus (United Torah Judaism) said its goal is to establish Torah study as a fundamental value alongside other core principles in Israeli law.