The Knesset approved Wednesday a bill to extend Tal Law by five years, legalizing the exemption of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from service in the Israel Defense forces.

The move passed with a majority of 56 to nine votes. It was supported by the coalition and the right-wing factions, and opposed by members of Meretz and Labor. MK Ran Cohen of Meretz announced he would appeal the law in the High Court in order to prevent its implementation.

MK Cohen called the law unconstitutional, saying it endorsed en masse evasion of responsibility, and that five years was an unreasonlably long period to extend it. "Enough was said in the High Court's previous ruling on the law to reject it this time," he said, referring to the May 2006 High Court decision on the law.

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The ruling stated that the law "gravely affronted the honor of the masses who are required by law to complete military service." At that time, the High Court ruled that if significant improvement in the implementation of the law was not effected, the court was concerned it would become unconstitutional.

MK Haim Oron of Meretz said that exemption from the IDF had reached monstrous proportions.

Chairman of the Knesset Committee on Legislation, Law and Justice, Tzachi Hanegbi said that even in five years there was a serious concern that the law would not be implemented correctly, meaning that very few Haredi youths would complete national service as required.

He added that the committee had decided to strictly supervise the law's implementation, and had demanded periodic reports on it from the government.