A newly passed Basic Law granting legal status to Torah study has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties who argue it is meaningless in Israel’s current constitutional framework. The legislation, formally titled ‘Basic Law: Torah Study’, has simultaneously provoked anger from left-wing critics and satisfaction among the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) community, yet both sides appear to have missed a crucial point about its practical value.

In recent years, Israel’s Supreme Court has dramatically curtailed the constitutional weight of Basic Laws following a series of landmark rulings. This constitutional shift has rendered such legislation substantially weaker than it once was, effectively stripping away the enforceability that previously made Basic Laws significant tools for enshrining rights and principles. Legal experts warn that the current political climate has transformed these foundational statutes into symbolic gestures rather than binding constitutional instruments.

Critics from the left view the law as an inappropriate use of the legislative process to entrench religious interests, whilst ultra-Orthodox politicians celebrate it as recognition of Torah study’s central role in their communities. However, the underlying irony—that the law carries minimal constitutional weight in today’s legal landscape—appears to have been overlooked by both camps engaged in the fierce debate over its passage.

The episode highlights the broader constitutional crisis facing Israel, where the traditional authority of Basic Laws has been fundamentally weakened, leaving them increasingly ceremonial rather than legally binding. What was once considered a significant legislative achievement has become, observers suggest, little more than political theatre.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.