The Knesset’s legal adviser warned Tuesday that if the proposed Basic Law: Torah Study is enacted, Torah learners could become eligible for benefits currently reserved for combat soldiers and military veterans.

Speaking during a heated Knesset committee debate, Knesset Legal Adviser Adv. Sagit Afik said legislation providing free academic tuition for soldiers “could also have to apply to Torah learners in light of the law.”

Afik’s comments came as lawmakers debated the far-reaching implications of the proposed Basic Law, which was introduced by the Chareidi parties and seeks to recognize Torah study as a foundational value of the State of Israel.

During the discussion, a combat veteran suffering from PTSD interrupted the proceedings, angrily confronting supporters of the legislation.

“What’s going on with you? How do you run a country like this?” he said. “The faces of people who exploded in our hands come to visit us at night.”

The warning follows comments made Monday by another representative of the Knesset’s legal department, Adv. Avital Simpolinsky, who challenged coalition claims that the law would not place Torah learners on equal legal footing with IDF soldiers.

“We don’t understand what ‘a foundational value of Torah study’ means,” Simpolinsky said. “The term ‘foundational value’ has no clear legal definition.”

She warned that courts could ultimately interpret the law as granting Torah learners legal status comparable to that of soldiers, workers, or holders of higher education degrees, potentially affecting eligibility for a wide range of state benefits.

Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni, who sponsored the legislation, challenged the legal interpretation during the hearing, asking, “Where are you getting that from?”

Simpolinsky replied that her assessment was based on the wording of the bill and statements by coalition lawmakers that Torah study is intended to receive elevated constitutional status.

Separately, Israel’s Finance Ministry submitted a legal opinion warning that the legislation could have sweeping economic consequences. The ministry cautioned that if courts interpret the law as giving Torah study constitutional priority over other values, including equality, it could require expanding government benefits for Torah learners, including tuition assistance, housing benefits, daycare subsidies, land allocations, and other forms of state support.

The Finance Ministry also warned that the measure could weaken incentives for Chareidim to enlist in the IDF or enter the workforce, potentially reducing long-term economic growth, lowering tax revenues, and increasing the burden on reserve soldiers.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)