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An impending political storm over conscripting Haredi men into the Israeli army is jeopardizing the administration and splitting the nation.

Public opinion on the question has shifted dramatically in Israel in the wake of two years of conflict, and this is now possibly the most divisive political issue facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Judicial Conflict

Politicians are currently considering a proposal to abolish the exemption awarded to Haredi students enrolled in yeshiva learning, established when the modern Israel was established in 1948.

The deferment was declared unconstitutional by the nation's top court two decades ago. Temporary arrangements to continue it were finally concluded by the judiciary last year, forcing the administration to start enlisting the Haredi sector.

Approximately 24,000 call-up papers were issued last year, but just approximately 1,200 ultra-Orthodox - or Haredi - draftees reported for duty, according to military testimony shared with lawmakers.

Tensions Boil Over Into Violence

Friction is spilling onto the streets, with elected officials now debating a new draft bill to force yeshiva students into national service together with other secular Israelis.

A pair of ultra-Orthodox lawmakers were confronted this month by radical elements, who are furious with parliament's discussion of the proposed law.

Recently, a elite police squad had to rescue army police who were attacked by a sizeable mob of ultra-Orthodox protesters as they tried to arrest a man avoiding service.

These enforcement actions have led to the development of a new messaging system dubbed "Dark Alert" to spread word quickly through ultra-Orthodox communities and mobilize activists to block enforcement from occurring.

"This is a Jewish state," remarked one protester. "One cannot oppose the Jewish faith in a nation founded on Jewish identity. That is untenable."

A Realm Set Aside

Yet the transformations sweeping across Israel have not reached the walls 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 seats of white shirts and traditional skullcaps.

"Come at one in the morning, and you will see many of the students are studying Torah," the head of the yeshiva, the spiritual guide, noted. "Via dedicated learning, we shield the troops wherever they are. This is our army."

Haredi Jews maintain that unceasing devotion and spiritual pursuit guard Israel's military, and are as vital to its military success as its conventional forces. That belief was acknowledged by the nation's leaders in the earlier decades, the rabbi said, but he acknowledged that the nation is evolving.

Growing Societal Anger

The ultra-Orthodox population has significantly increased its proportion of Israel's population over the last seventy years, and now accounts for 14%. An exemption that started as an exemption for a small number of yeshiva attendees evolved into, by the onset of the recent conflict, a cohort of tens of thousands of men left out of the conscription.

Surveys indicate support for ending the exemption is growing. A survey in July showed that 85% of non-Haredi Jews - even almost three-quarters in the Prime Minister's political base - backed sanctions for those who declined a draft order, with a firm majority in approving cutting state subsidies, passports, or the right to vote.

"It seems to me there are citizens who reside in this nation without contributing," one off-duty soldier in Tel Aviv commented.

"It is my belief, regardless of piety, [it] should be an justification not to go and serve 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 Within a Religious City

Backing for extending the draft is also coming from traditional Jews beyond the Haredi community, like a Bnei Brak inhabitant, who resides close to the academy and points to religious Zionists who do perform national service while also studying Torah.

"I'm very angry that ultra-Orthodox people don't perform military service," she said. "It's unfair. I am also committed to the Torah, but there's a saying in Jewish tradition - 'The Book and the Sword' – it represents the scripture and the guns together. That's the way forward, until the arrival of peace."

She maintains a local tribute in the neighborhood to soldiers from the area, both from all backgrounds, who were fallen in war. Long columns of images {