Lawmakers drop clause critics say could grant yeshiva students benefits similar to soldiers, but revised Basic Law still defines Torah study as core value, giving Haredi parties potential leverage in future battles over military draft exemptions

Another significant dimension has received almost no attention: the possibility that the law will alter Israel’s national priorities and damage the growth engines on which the…

Afik said that the legislation, in its current form, could allow Torah students to receive the same academic aid benefits as reservists, among other state benefits.