TEL AVIV: Israel’s parliament has approved laws that effectively halt the enlistment of ultra-Orthodox men in the country’s military in a last-ditch effort by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition to woo religious political parties ahead of elections in the fall. Lawmakers voted in a marathon session on Monday and Tuesday to both to freeze the arrests of ultra-Orthodox draft evaders and to enshrine Jewish religious studies as a “foundational value” of the state.

The advancement of a bill to freeze the arrests of draft evaders comes after the contentious Basic Law: Torah Study bill advanced last week in the Knesset’s House Committee.

Knesset panel advances bill to freeze arrests of haredi draft evaders. Israeli parliament dissolved by July at 92% YES.

The Israeli Knesset passed a bill on Tuesday temporarily banning the arrest of ultra-orthodox Jews for dodging the military draft.