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An impending political storm over conscripting Haredi men into the Israeli army is jeopardizing the governing coalition and dividing the country.

Popular sentiment on the question has shifted dramatically in Israel following two years of war, and this is now possibly the most explosive political risk facing the Prime Minister.

The Constitutional Struggle

Politicians are now debating a proposal to end the special status given to ultra-Orthodox men enrolled in full-time religious study, created when the modern Israel was declared in 1948.

This arrangement was ruled illegal by the nation's top court almost 20 years ago. Temporary arrangements to extend it were finally concluded by the court last year, forcing the cabinet to commence conscription of the community.

Some 24,000 draft notices were sent out last year, but just approximately 1,200 Haredi conscripts reported for duty, according to military testimony given to lawmakers.

Friction Boil Over Into Public View

Strains are boiling over onto the streets, with elected officials now deliberating a new legislative proposal to compel yeshiva students into military service alongside other secular Israelis.

Two representatives were confronted this month by radical elements, who are furious with parliament's discussion of the bill.

Recently, a specialized force had to rescue enforcement personnel who were targeted by a sizeable mob of ultra-Orthodox protesters as they sought to apprehend a man avoiding service.

Such incidents have led to the development of a new communication network named "Emergency Alert" to spread word quickly through the religious sector and mobilize activists to stop detentions from occurring.

"We're a Jewish country," stated Shmuel Orbach. "It's impossible to battle religious practice in a nation founded on Jewish identity. That is untenable."

A Realm Set Aside

However the transformations blowing through Israel have not yet breached the confines of the Kisse Rahamim yeshiva in a Haredi stronghold, an ultra-Orthodox city on the fringes of Tel Aviv.

Inside the classroom, scholars learn in partnerships to debate Jewish law, their distinctive notepads contrasting with the lines of white shirts and traditional skullcaps.

"Visit in the early hours, and you will see half the guys are studying Torah," the dean of the academy, Rabbi Tzemach Mazuz, explained. "Through religious study, we protect the military personnel wherever they are. This is how we contribute."

Ultra-Orthodox believe that continuous prayer and Torah learning protect Israel's armed forces, and are as crucial to its security as its advanced weaponry. This tenet was endorsed by previous governments in the previous eras, he said, but he admitted that the nation is evolving.

Rising Societal Anger

This religious sector has more than doubled its share of the nation's citizens over the since the state's founding, and now represents around one in seven. An exemption that started as an exemption for a small number of yeshiva attendees evolved into, by the beginning of the 2023 war, a group of tens of thousands of men exempt from the national service.

Surveys show backing for drafting the Haredim is rising. A survey in July found that a large majority of non-Haredi Jews - even almost three-quarters in Netanyahu's own right-wing Likud party - backed consequences for those who declined a call-up notice, with a firm majority in favor of cutting state subsidies, travel documents, or the right to vote.

"It makes me feel there are citizens who are part of this country without serving," one serviceman in Tel Aviv commented.

"It is my belief, however religious you are, [it] should be an justification not to go and serve your state," added a Tel Aviv resident. "Being a native, I find it quite ridiculous that you want to avoid service just to learn in a yeshiva all day."

Voices from Within a Religious City

Advocacy of broadening conscription is also coming from religious Jews not part of the Haredi community, like a Bnei Brak inhabitant, who lives near the seminary and points to non-Haredi religious Jews who do perform national service while also studying Torah.

"I am frustrated that the Haredim don't perform military service," she said. "It's unfair. I also believe in the Jewish law, but there's a saying in Hebrew - 'The Book and the Sword' – it represents the scripture and the defense together. That is the path, until the arrival of peace."

Ms Barak manages a local tribute in her city to local soldiers, both from all backgrounds, who were fallen in war. Long columns of images {