Knesset

The Knesset Committee approved the Torah Study bill for its first reading, with 10 lawmakers voting in favor and 4 opposed. The bill, which is set to go before the full Knesset tomorrow, seeks to establish that Torah study is a foundational value in the heritage of the Jewish people and in the State of Israel.

The possible merger would target center-right voters who oppose Netanyahu’s current coalition but do not want to join the Israeli left

A proposed law banning representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross from entering prisons where terror inmates are held was voted down in the Knesset. Thirty-six lawmakers supported it, while 41 opposed it, taking the bill off the agenda for the next six months.

The Knesset voted to grant MK Tally Gotliv immunity from criminal prosecution in the case involving the exposure of a Shin Bet agent’s identity. The decision followed heated debates in both the House Committee and the full Knesset.

The number of Israelis who formally asked to end their residency dropped in 2025 compared with the previous year. But Knesset data still points to a significant ongoing departure of young adults and highly educated Israelis.

In its final votes, the Knesset approved MK Moshe Saada’s bill to remove the Police Internal Investigations Department from the State Attorney’s Office and turn it into an independent unit within the Justice Ministry.

A proposed Basic Law on Torah study passed its preliminary reading in the Knesset by a vote of 56-43. Shas said moving the bill forward was a condition for supporting additional coalition legislation.

Fourteen members of Knesset voted in favor, with no opposition, as the plenum approved a bill to limit attorneys’ fees. The law is meant to protect those eligible through the Rehabilitation Department and the National Insurance Institute from excessive legal charges.

In a final Knesset vote, lawmakers formally recognized Israeli Sign Language in law, giving it official status and requiring the state to promote, preserve, and develop it for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

The Knesset has given final approval to a new criminal law targeting smuggling outside official border crossings. The bill states that "smuggling into the country, mainly באמצעות drones, creates a real threat to state security."

About 60 communities along the eastern conflict line will receive a 7% income tax credit, applied retroactively from January 2026; the bill passed by a vote of 32 to 23.

The Knesset Constitution Committee approved for first reading a bill to establish a national state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre. Opposition lawmakers were absent from the discussion.

Forty-four Knesset members voted in favor of the daycare subsidy bill, which would base eligibility for daycare assistance on the toddler’s mother rather than the father. Thirty-seven lawmakers opposed it, while members of the Religious Zionism faction were absent from the vote.

The Knesset plenum approved, in a preliminary reading, a bill to dissolve the 25th Knesset by an overwhelming margin, with no votes against and no abstentions. The move officially opens the door to a new election campaign, as the bill now heads to Knesset committees for discussion and preparation.

MK Moshe Arbel announced that he is stepping down from the Knesset after 12 years of public and parliamentary service. He said the decision was made so he can devote more time to his family, to Torah study, and to completing his doctoral studies.

The standoff between the Haredi parties and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's draft law is intensifying. Rabbi Dov Lando instructed Degel HaTorah lawmakers to push to dissolve the Knesset and declared that trust in the Prime Minister has been lost: "All kinds of talk about a bloc no longer exist."

Internal assessments warn that sending about 600 trucks a day overshoots basic humanitarian requirements; the surplus fuels smuggling, market control, and Hamas entrenchment.

Israel’s parliament is expected to pass a bill to prosecute the October 7 terrorists today, but a fierce funding dispute—spanning billions of shekels—between the Defense and Finance ministries could delay rollout.

Israeli distributors allegedly sold tainted fruits and vegetables smuggled from the Palestinian Authority; testing found about 57% of samples contained illegal, dangerous pesticides.

Preliminary vote approves legislation barring interference with tefillin and public prayer; bill now heads to committee for further debate