Israel's parliament on Monday passed a law declaring the study of Jewish religious texts a "fundamental value" of the state, a move widely seen as strengthening the ultra-Orthodox community's case for exemption from mandatory military service.
The bill cleared its final two readings by 63 votes to 52, just days before the Knesset dissolves ahead of the 27 October general elections, wrapping up months of tense negotiations between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox parties that support his government.
With the bill's passage, Netanyahu is now expected to secure the support of the two parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, in the coming elections. Until now, both parties had withheld their backing over the issue.
The bill approved on Monday had undergone several revisions since passing its first reading in June.
A provision in the original version of the bill titled "Basic Law on Torah Study", which equated the rights of yeshiva (Talmudic seminary) students with those of soldiers, was removed to secure the backing of lawmakers from Netanyahu's own Likud party.
In the approved version, the bill states that "Torah study is a fundamental value of the heritage of the Jewish people and the State of Israel".
Even so, the legislation sparked fierce criticism not only from the opposition but also from within Likud, with lawmaker Dan Illouz resigning from the party.
Illouz argued that "removing the clause that explicitly defined the law's objective changes neither its nature nor its obvious purpose: this is a law that will, in practice, serve to legitimise exemption from military service."
For decades, most ultra-Orthodox Jewish men have avoided Israel's mandatory military service by registering as full-time religious students.
Israel's Supreme Court ruled this exemption illegal, and the military—stretched thin after more than two years of war—has demanded more recruits.
Rather than directly legislating an exemption, which the court would likely strike down, the coalition took an indirect route: drafting a "Basic Law"—a type of legislation with quasi-constitutional weight in Israel —declaring Torah study "a core national value".
Critics say this gives legal cover to keep ultra-Orthodox men out of uniform without saying so explicitly.
According to Israeli media reports, the finance ministry also opposed the legislation, warning that "if the right to Torah study takes precedence over the principle of equality, it will seriously undermine budgetary priorities".
In return for supporting the bill, lawmakers from the two ultra-Orthodox parties agreed to back other legislation put forward by Netanyahu's Likud.
"The government is using the Knesset's final days in session to push through laws that are detrimental to the army," said former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who has emerged as the main rival to Netanyahu in the upcoming elections.
The Israeli Knesset formally concludes its current session on 17 July.