The chairman of the Yashar! party, Gadi Eisenkot, fiercely criticized the passing of the Basic Law: Torah Study in its first reading in the Knesset plenum."The attempt to enshrine draft evasion into a Basic Law is a direct blow to our national backbone. At a time when the burden on those who serve is breaking records and the price they pay is unbearable, the coalition chooses to forge a bypass route for draft evasion. Torah study is a vital value in the State of Israel, but it cannot serve as a political cover for abandoning the mission of defending the country. Those who voted tonight in favor of the 'Basic Law: Draft Evasion' are prioritizing the survival of the government over the resilience of the IDF and Israeli society," Eisenkot stated.