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A looming political storm over drafting Haredi men into the Israeli army is threatening to undermine Israel's government and fracturing the nation.

Popular sentiment on the question has changed profoundly in Israel following two years of conflict, and this is now possibly the most volatile political risk facing the Prime Minister.

The Judicial Battle

Politicians are reviewing a proposal to end the special status granted to ultra-Orthodox men engaged in Torah study, instituted when the modern Israel was declared in 1948.

The deferment was ruled illegal by the nation's top court two decades ago. Stopgap solutions to maintain it were officially terminated by the bench last year, pressuring the government to commence conscription of the Haredi sector.

Approximately 24,000 enlistment orders were delivered last year, but only around 1,200 ultra-Orthodox - or Haredi - draftees showed up, according to army data presented to lawmakers.

Friction Boil Over Into Violence

Strains are boiling over onto the public squares, with parliamentarians now discussing a new conscription law to compel 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 furious with the legislative debate of the proposed law.

And last week, a specialized force had to rescue army police who were surrounded by a sizeable mob of Haredi men as they tried to arrest a alleged conscription dodger.

These arrests have sparked the creation of a new messaging system dubbed "Emergency Alert" to rapidly disseminate information through ultra-Orthodox communities and mobilize demonstrators to block enforcement from occurring.

"Israel is a Jewish nation," remarked one protester. "You can't fight against Judaism in a Jewish country. It doesn't work."

A World Apart

However the changes blowing through Israel have not reached the confines of the Torah academy in a Haredi stronghold, an Haredi enclave on the fringes of Tel Aviv.

In the learning space, scholars study together to analyze Judaism's religious laws, their vividly colored writing books popping against the rows of light-colored shirts and small black kippahs.

"Come at one in the morning, and you will see a significant portion are pursuing religious study," the leader of the seminary, Rabbi Tzemach Mazuz, noted. "By studying Torah, we shield the troops wherever they are. This is how we contribute."

Haredi Jews maintain that constant study and Torah learning guard Israel's military, and are as crucial to its military success as its advanced weaponry. This tenet was acknowledged by Israel's politicians in the previous eras, Rabbi Mazuz said, but he acknowledged that the nation is evolving.

Increasing Public Pressure

The ultra-Orthodox population has significantly increased its percentage of Israel's population over the past seven decades, and now represents 14%. What began as an exception for a small number of yeshiva attendees turned into, by the beginning of the 2023 war, a body of approximately 60,000 men exempt from the national service.

Polling data suggest backing for ultra-Orthodox conscription is rising. A poll in July revealed that 85% of the broader Jewish public - including almost three-quarters in his own coalition allies - favored penalties for those who refused a draft order, with a firm majority in favor of cutting state subsidies, passports, or the franchise.

"It seems to me there are citizens who are part of this nation without giving anything back," one military member in Tel Aviv explained.

"In my view, no matter how devout, [it] should be an excuse not to go and serve your country," said a young woman. "As a citizen by birth, I find it rather absurd that you want to opt out just to engage in religious study all day."

Voices from the Heart of Bnei Brak

Advocacy of ending the exemption is also expressed by observant Jews beyond the Haredi community, like Dorit Barak, who is a neighbor of the yeshiva and highlights non-Haredi religious Jews who do enlist in the army while also studying Torah.

"It makes me angry that this community don't enlist," she said. "This creates inequality. I also believe in the Jewish law, but there's a proverb in Jewish tradition - 'Safra and Saifa' – it signifies the Torah and the weapons together. That is the path, until the messianic era."

She maintains a local tribute in her city to local soldiers, both from all backgrounds, who were killed in battle. Long columns of images {