Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu spoke with Kol Chai this week about the law passed in the Knesset on Wednesday evening: “Basic Law: Limmud Torah” with the help of his party.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that the value of Limmud Torah study is an existential value. It is not a secondary value,” he said. “Without the Torah, I think it’s clear today to every clear-minded person that we have no zechus to exist.”

“Lomdei Torah are our existence. To call it a ‘contribution’ implies that it is merely equal to something else. We have no right to exist without it.”

During the interview, Eliyahu spoke about his grandfather, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi HaRav Mordechai Eliyahu, z’tl, whose yartzheit was on Wednesday.

“My grandfather, z’tl, learned Torah despite grinding poverty,” he said. “If anyone has any doubt that we in Otzma Yehudit are following the path of HaRav Mordechai Eliyahu, then they should think again. We will support Lomdei Torah and place the Torah at the center of our banner.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)