Gafni Rejects Torah Study Basic Law Changes as Likud Weighs Fighter Clause

Degel HaTorah chairman MK Moshe Gafni told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would not accept changes to Basic Law: Torah Study. The message followed Knesset legal adviser Sagit Afik's warning that the current text could require extending benefits reserved for IDF fighters to Torah learners, while Likud figures considered reservations that would add combat soldiers to the bill. Haredi leaders have warned that watering down the law would breach coalition understandings reached with Netanyahu. The dispute keeps the coalition under pressure before recess, as lawmakers weigh respect for Torah study, soldiers' benefits and a legally durable text.