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A looming political storm over conscripting Haredi men into the military is jeopardizing Israel's government and fracturing the country.

Public opinion on the issue has undergone a sea change in Israel in the wake of two years of hostilities, and this is now arguably the most explosive political issue facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Constitutional Conflict

Legislators are now debating a draft bill to abolish the exemption given to ultra-Orthodox men enrolled in yeshiva learning, instituted when the the nation was established in 1948.

This arrangement was struck down by Israel's High Court of Justice in the early 2000s. Stopgap solutions to maintain it were finally concluded by the court last year, compelling the government to commence conscription of the ultra-Orthodox population.

Approximately 24,000 enlistment orders were sent out last year, but merely about 1,200 men from the community reported for duty, according to defense officials presented to lawmakers.

Friction Spill Into Violence

Tensions are erupting onto the city centers, with lawmakers now discussing a new draft bill to compel ultra-Orthodox men into military service together with other Israeli Jews.

Two representatives were confronted this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who are enraged with parliament's discussion of the draft legislation.

In a recent incident, a specialized force had to assist army police who were targeted by a sizeable mob of community members as they sought to apprehend a alleged conscription dodger.

These arrests have led to the development of a new messaging system called "Emergency Alert" to rapidly disseminate information through Haredi neighborhoods and mobilize demonstrators to block enforcement from taking place.

"We're a Jewish country," stated Shmuel Orbach. "It's impossible to battle Judaism in a Jewish state. It doesn't work."

A Realm Apart

However the shifts affecting Israel have failed to penetrate the walls of the Torah academy in a Haredi stronghold, an Haredi enclave on the fringes of Tel Aviv.

Within the study hall, teenage boys sit in pairs to discuss Judaism's religious laws, their distinctive writing books standing out against the rows of white shirts and small black kippahs.

"Come at one in the morning, and you will see a significant portion are studying Torah," the head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Tzemach Mazuz, explained. "By studying Torah, we shield the soldiers on the front lines. This is our army."

Ultra-Orthodox believe that continuous prayer and Torah learning guard Israel's armed forces, and are as essential to its security as its advanced weaponry. This conviction was accepted by previous governments in the earlier decades, the rabbi said, but he acknowledged that the nation is evolving.

Rising Societal Anger

This religious sector has more than doubled its percentage of the nation's citizens over the since the state's founding, and now accounts for a sizable minority. What began as an deferment for a small number of Torah scholars turned into, by the onset of the 2023 war, a cohort of some 60,000 men exempt from the draft.

Polling data indicate backing for ending the exemption is growing. A poll in July found that an overwhelming percentage of non-Haredi Jews - encompassing a large segment in the Prime Minister's political base - supported penalties for those who declined a call-up notice, with a clear majority in supporting cutting state subsidies, the right to travel, or the franchise.

"It seems to me there are people who are part of this country without giving anything back," one serviceman in Tel Aviv commented.

"I don't think, no matter how devout, [it] should be an reason not to fulfill your duty to your nation," added Gabby. "If you're born here, I find it somewhat unreasonable that you want to avoid service just to learn in a yeshiva all day."

Perspectives from Within Bnei Brak

Advocacy of broadening conscription is also coming from observant Jews outside the Haredi community, like one local resident, who lives near the seminary and points to observant but non-Haredi Jews who do perform national service while also maintaining their faith.

"I am frustrated that ultra-Orthodox people don't enlist," she said. "It is unjust. I am also committed to the Jewish law, but there's a saying in Hebrew - 'Safra and Saifa' – it represents the Torah and the guns together. This is the correct approach, until the messianic era."

The resident manages a small memorial in Bnei Brak to soldiers from the area, both from all backgrounds, who were killed in battle. Rows of photographs {