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A looming crisis over conscripting Haredi men into the Israel Defense Forces is jeopardizing the administration and splitting the country.

The public mood on the matter has shifted dramatically in Israel in the wake of two years of war, and this is now perhaps the most divisive political issue facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Legal Conflict

Lawmakers are currently considering a piece of legislation to end the deferment awarded to Haredi students dedicated to Torah study, created when the modern Israel was declared in 1948.

That exemption was ruled illegal by Israel's High Court of Justice two decades ago. Interim measures to continue it were officially terminated by the judiciary last year, compelling the administration to commence conscription of the ultra-Orthodox population.

Approximately 24,000 call-up papers were delivered last year, but merely about 1,200 men from the community showed up, according to defense officials given to lawmakers.

Tensions Erupt Onto the Streets

Tensions are erupting onto the city centers, with lawmakers now discussing a new draft bill to require Haredi males into military service in the same way as other secular Israelis.

A pair of ultra-Orthodox lawmakers were targeted this month by radical elements, who are enraged with the legislative debate of the proposed law.

Recently, a special Border Police unit had to assist Military Police officers who were surrounded by a big group of community members as they tried to arrest a alleged conscription dodger.

These enforcement actions have sparked the creation of a new communication network dubbed "Black Alert" to rapidly disseminate information through the religious sector and summon activists to stop detentions from happening.

"Israel is a Jewish nation," stated one protester. "You can't fight against religious practice in a Jewish country. That is untenable."

A Realm Separate

Yet the changes sweeping across Israel have not yet breached the confines of the Kisse Rahamim yeshiva in Bnei Brak, an religious community on the edge of Tel Aviv.

Inside the classroom, young students learn in partnerships to debate Judaism's religious laws, their vividly colored school notebooks standing out against the rows of white shirts and head coverings.

"Visit in the early hours, and you will see a significant portion are studying Torah," the dean of the academy, the spiritual guide, said. "Via dedicated learning, we shield the military personnel on the front lines. This is our army."

Ultra-Orthodox believe that constant study and religious study defend Israel's armed forces, and are as crucial to its military success as its advanced weaponry. That belief was accepted by the nation's leaders in the earlier decades, the rabbi said, but he acknowledged that Israel was changing.

Increasing Popular Demand

The ultra-Orthodox population has more than doubled its share of the country's people over the past seven decades, and now accounts for a sizable minority. A policy that originated as an exception for a few hundred yeshiva attendees became, by the beginning of the 2023 war, a body of approximately 60,000 men left out of the national service.

Surveys indicate backing for ultra-Orthodox conscription is increasing. Research in July revealed that 85% of non-Haredi Jews - including a significant majority in his own coalition allies - favored consequences for those who ignored a call-up notice, with a firm majority in supporting cutting state subsidies, travel documents, or the franchise.

"It seems to me there are citizens who live in this nation without contributing," one military member in Tel Aviv commented.

"In my view, regardless of piety, [it] should be an excuse not to perform service your state," stated Gabby. "Being a native, I find it rather absurd that you want to exempt yourself just to study Torah all day."

Views from Inside the Community

Backing for ending the exemption is also found among traditional Jews outside the Haredi community, like Dorit Barak, who is a neighbor of the yeshiva and notes religious Zionists who do perform national service while also engaging in religious study.

"I'm very angry that the Haredim don't serve in the army," she said. "It's unfair. I too follow the Torah, but there's a teaching in Hebrew - 'The Book and the Sword' – it represents the scripture and the weapons together. This is the correct approach, until the days of peace."

The resident runs a small memorial in the neighborhood to soldiers from the area, both religious and secular, who were fallen in war. Lines of faces {