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A looming political storm over enlisting Haredi men into the Israeli army is jeopardizing the administration and fracturing the country.

Public opinion on the matter has shifted dramatically in Israel following two years of conflict, and this is now possibly the most volatile political issue facing the Prime Minister.

The Judicial Battle

Lawmakers are reviewing a proposal to end the exemption given to yeshiva scholars engaged in yeshiva learning, created when the State of Israel was established in 1948.

This arrangement was declared unconstitutional by Israel's High Court of Justice almost 20 years ago. Stopgap solutions to extend it were officially terminated by the court last year, forcing the cabinet to begin drafting the community.

Approximately 24,000 draft notices were sent out last year, but just approximately 1,200 ultra-Orthodox - or Haredi - draftees showed up, according to defense officials shared with lawmakers.

Friction Boil Over Into Violence

Tensions are erupting onto the city centers, with elected officials now deliberating a new draft bill to force yeshiva students into national service in the same way as other secular Israelis.

A pair of ultra-Orthodox lawmakers were confronted this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who are incensed with parliament's discussion of the draft legislation.

And last week, a special Border Police unit had to assist army police who were targeted by a sizeable mob of community members as they attempted to detain a alleged conscription dodger.

These arrests have prompted the establishment of a new alert system called "Dark Alert" to rapidly disseminate information through ultra-Orthodox communities and mobilize demonstrators to stop detentions from happening.

"This is a Jewish state," remarked an activist. "It's impossible to battle the Jewish faith in a Jewish country. It doesn't work."

An Environment Set Aside

But the changes sweeping across Israel have not reached the walls of the Torah academy in Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox city on the fringes of Tel Aviv.

In the learning space, young students study together to debate Jewish law, their vividly colored school notebooks standing out against the seats of white shirts and traditional skullcaps.

"Visit in the early hours, and you will see half the guys are pursuing religious study," the head of the academy, Rabbi Tzemach Mazuz, said. "Through religious study, we protect the troops wherever they are. This is how we contribute."

The community holds that constant study and Torah learning guard Israel's armed forces, and are as essential to its military success as its advanced weaponry. This tenet was acknowledged by Israel's politicians in the past, he said, but he conceded that Israel was changing.

Increasing Public Pressure

The ultra-Orthodox population has more than doubled its proportion of the country's people over the last seventy years, and now represents around one in seven. A policy that originated as an deferment for a few hundred yeshiva attendees turned into, by the start of the Gaza war, a group of some 60,000 men not subject to the national service.

Polling data suggest support for ultra-Orthodox conscription is increasing. A survey in July found that an overwhelming percentage of secular and traditional Jews - encompassing a significant majority in his own coalition allies - favored penalties for those who ignored a draft order, with a solid consensus in approving removing privileges, passports, or the right to vote.

"It makes me feel there are people who reside in this country without giving anything back," one off-duty soldier in Tel Aviv said.

"I don't think, however religious you are, [it] should be an excuse not to perform service your state," said Gabby. "As a citizen by birth, I find it quite ridiculous that you want to opt out just to engage in religious study all day."

Perspectives from Inside the Community

Backing for ending the exemption is also coming from observant Jews not part of the Haredi community, like Dorit Barak, who resides close to the yeshiva and highlights religious Zionists who do enlist in the army while also engaging in religious study.

"I'm very angry that ultra-Orthodox people don't serve in the army," she said. "This creates inequality. I am also committed to 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 days of peace."

The resident maintains a small memorial in her city to soldiers from the area, both religious and secular, who were killed in battle. Long columns of photographs {