Shas and Degel HaTorah announced Thursday that an agreement had been reached to scale back the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study, leaving only the original declarative clause and removing additional provisions that had been proposed for inclusion.
In a joint statement, the parties said that after the prime minister and the Likud sought to add clauses that did not appear in the original version of the bill, it was made clear that they would not agree to alter the law’s essence.
According to the parties, if there is a desire to advance additional provisions, they can be addressed through separate legislation rather than as part of the Basic Law. At the same time, legislation granting immunity from arrest to Haredi draft evaders will be advanced in the coming months.
The statement said that, at the instruction of leading Torah authorities, it was decided that the law would include only the first clause, which states: “Torah study is a fundamental value in the heritage of the Jewish people."
Shas and Degel HaTorah stressed that this clause is “the heart of the law and the principle for which the Basic Law proposal was originally submitted" - enshrining recognition of the status of Torah study as a fundamental value in the heritage of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
The clause removed by the haredi parties sought to establish Torah study as a fundamental value with practical implications, which would have led to granting benefits to Torah learners similar to those available to IDF soldiers, including “Mimadim L’Limudim" [academic study] scholarships, land discounts, and other benefits.