From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Haredi MK declares ‘holy war’ after quasi-constitutional Torah study bill advances
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.
Senior ultra-Orthodox lawmakers hail the Knesset’s vote to advance a controversial quasi-constitutional Basic Law bill declaring Torah study a foundational value of the State of Israel, calling it “a declaration of holy war” and branding opponents of the legislation “antisemites.”
“This is a declaration of holy war against those who blaspheme God, persecute the Torah and oppose those who study it,” United Torah Judaism MK Yisrael Eichler says, following years of the “honor” and “dignity” of Torah scholars being “trampled into the dust under the boots of dictatorial jurists who have seized power.”
UTJ lawmaker Meir Porush refers to opponents of the bill as “antisemites” and “enemies of the Torah and its students.” He also vilifies the judiciary, saying that the Haredi parties were compelled to bring forward this bill due to “the malicious conduct of the judicial system and the systematic persecution of Torah scholars over recent years.”
UTJ chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf calls today’s vote “the beginning of correcting a four-year injustice,” which will “restore the proper respect” for yeshiva students.”
The legislation comes amid a years-long debate over military exemptions for Haredi men that has intensified since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack and ensuing multifront war. Ultra-Orthodox parties have sought to preserve the exemptions following a 2024 High Court ruling that deemed them unconstitutional, leading some state benefits to be curtailed.
The legislation now moves to committee and must still pass three additional Knesset readings before becoming law.
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