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A gathering political storm over drafting Haredi men into the military is jeopardizing the administration and fracturing the country.

Public opinion on the matter has shifted dramatically in Israel in the wake of two years of war, and this is now possibly the most divisive political risk facing Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Legal Conflict

Lawmakers are now debating a draft bill to abolish the special status awarded to ultra-Orthodox men dedicated to full-time religious study, created when the modern Israel was established in 1948.

The deferment was struck down by Israel's High Court of Justice almost 20 years ago. Interim measures to extend it were finally concluded by the bench last year, forcing the government to start enlisting the Haredi sector.

Some 24,000 enlistment orders were sent out last year, but only around 1,200 men from the community enlisted, according to defense officials shared with lawmakers.

Strains Boil Over Into Violence

Friction is spilling onto the city centers, with lawmakers now deliberating a new legislative proposal to compel yeshiva students into national service alongside other Jewish citizens.

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

Recently, a special Border Police unit had to assist enforcement personnel who were targeted by a sizeable mob of Haredi men as they tried to arrest a suspected draft-evader.

Such incidents have prompted the establishment of a new alert system called "Black Alert" to spread word quickly through the religious sector and call out demonstrators to prevent arrests from happening.

"Israel is a Jewish nation," remarked one protester. "It's impossible to battle Judaism in a Jewish country. It is a contradiction."

A Realm Apart

Yet the changes affecting Israel have not reached the walls of the Torah academy in Bnei Brak, an religious community on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

Within the study hall, scholars learn in partnerships to discuss the Torah, their distinctive notepads contrasting with the rows of white shirts and traditional skullcaps.

"Arrive late at night, and you will see a significant portion are pursuing religious study," the leader of the academy, a senior rabbi, said. "By studying Torah, we protect the soldiers on the front lines. This is how we contribute."

The community holds that constant study and Torah learning protect Israel's armed forces, and are as vital to its defense as its conventional forces. This conviction was endorsed by previous governments in the past, he said, but he acknowledged that Israel was changing.

Increasing Popular Demand

This religious sector has significantly increased its proportion of the country's people over the last seventy years, and now constitutes 14%. An exemption that started as an exemption for several hundred Torah scholars evolved into, by the onset of the recent conflict, a body of tens of thousands of men not subject to the national service.

Opinion polls show backing for ultra-Orthodox conscription is growing. Research in July revealed that an overwhelming percentage of the broader Jewish public - even almost three-quarters in the Prime Minister's political base - backed sanctions for those who ignored a call-up notice, with a clear majority in favor of removing privileges, travel documents, or the electoral participation.

"It makes me feel there are citizens who live in this nation without giving anything back," one military member in Tel Aviv commented.

"In my view, no matter how devout, [it] should be an reason not to go and serve your country," stated Gabby. "Being a native, I find it quite ridiculous that you want to avoid service just to engage in religious study all day."

Perspectives from Inside a Religious City

Backing for ending the exemption is also found among observant Jews not part of the ultra-Orthodox sector, like one local resident, who lives near the seminary and points to religious Zionists who do enlist in the army while also engaging in religious study.

"I am frustrated that the Haredim don't serve in the army," she said. "It's unfair. I too follow the Torah, but there's a saying in Hebrew - 'Safra and Saifa' – it means the Torah and the guns together. That is the path, until the arrival of peace."

Ms Barak manages a local tribute in Bnei Brak to fallen servicemen, both observant and non-observant, who were fallen in war. Long columns of images {