The legal advisers to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee issued a sharply worded opinion Monday opposing proposed legislation that would suspend the arrests of individuals obligated to report for military service, arguing that the bill exceeds its stated purpose and effectively grants immunity to those who refuse to comply with the draft law.

In their legal opinion, committee advisers concluded that the bill, in its current form, “goes beyond its original purpose.”

According to the opinion, the proposal’s stated objective is to recognize the importance of Torah study, but its practical effect would be far broader.

“The only component anchored in the purpose clause is the importance of Torah study, which serves as the basis and justification for regulating the status of yeshiva students,” the opinion states. “This is an ‘amnesty clause’ that seeks to regulate the status of candidates for military service who are currently classified as deserters or draft evaders.”

The legal advisers further argued that the legislation would create a precedent encouraging future draft-age individuals to ignore the law.

“Moreover,” the opinion continues, “the proposed arrangement grants legitimacy to future military service candidates who choose not to comply with the provisions of the Security Service Law, including Sections 3 and 5, and who fail to act in accordance with the law. It thereby provides them with advance immunity and protection from criminal proceedings.”

The opinion concludes that the legislation is not merely intended to temporarily suspend arrests but instead attempts to bypass the need for comprehensive legislation addressing the legal status of yeshiva students.

“Accordingly,” the legal advisers wrote, “the bill does not seek simply to temporarily freeze arrests. Rather, it attempts to create an alternative mechanism designed to eliminate the need for comprehensive legislative arrangements governing the status of yeshiva students.”

The legal opinion comes as chareidi parties continue pressing the coalition to advance legislation that would halt the arrests of yeshiva students while broader negotiations over military service exemptions and the status of Torah study remain unresolved.