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A gathering political storm over drafting Haredi men into the Israeli army is threatening to undermine the administration and dividing the nation.

Public opinion on the issue has changed profoundly in Israel after two years of war, and this is now possibly the most volatile political risk facing Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Judicial Battle

Politicians are reviewing a piece of legislation to end the special status awarded to ultra-Orthodox men dedicated to full-time religious study, established when the modern Israel was established in 1948.

That exemption was struck down by the Supreme Court almost 20 years ago. Stopgap solutions to maintain it were officially terminated by the bench last year, forcing the government to commence conscription of the community.

Some 24,000 enlistment orders were sent out last year, but merely about 1,200 ultra-Orthodox - or Haredi - draftees reported for duty, according to military testimony shared with lawmakers.

Friction Erupt Into Violence

Strains are boiling over onto the city centers, with lawmakers now discussing a new draft bill to compel ultra-Orthodox men into army duty in the same way as other Israeli Jews.

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

Recently, a specialized force had to rescue enforcement personnel who were surrounded by a large crowd of community members as they sought to apprehend a alleged conscription dodger.

Such incidents have prompted the establishment of a new alert system called "Dark Alert" to rapidly disseminate information through Haredi neighborhoods and summon activists to stop detentions from occurring.

"Israel is a Jewish nation," stated Shmuel Orbach. "One cannot oppose the Jewish faith in a Jewish country. It doesn't work."

An Environment Separate

Yet the changes affecting Israel have not reached the walls of the Kisse Rahamim yeshiva in Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox city on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

Inside the classroom, teenage boys learn in partnerships to debate the Torah, their vividly colored writing books popping against the seats of white shirts and head coverings.

"Visit in the early hours, and you will see a significant portion are studying Torah," the leader of the academy, the spiritual guide, said. "Through religious study, we safeguard the military personnel wherever they are. This is our army."

Ultra-Orthodox believe that unceasing devotion and Torah learning defend Israel's armed forces, and are as vital to its security as its advanced weaponry. This tenet was accepted by Israel's politicians in the previous eras, he said, but he conceded that Israel was changing.

Increasing Popular Demand

The ultra-Orthodox population has more than doubled its share of the country's people over the last seventy years, and now constitutes 14%. A policy that originated as an exemption for several hundred yeshiva attendees became, by the start of the 2023 war, a cohort of approximately 60,000 men left out of the national service.

Opinion polls show backing for drafting the Haredim is rising. A poll in July showed that an overwhelming percentage of non-Haredi Jews - even a large segment in the Prime Minister's political base - backed consequences for those who ignored a draft order, with a solid consensus in approving withdrawing benefits, the right to travel, or the franchise.

"It makes me feel there are individuals who live in this nation without serving," one serviceman in Tel Aviv explained.

"It is my belief, no matter how devout, [it] should be an excuse not to fulfill your duty to your state," stated a Tel Aviv resident. "Being a native, I find it rather absurd that you want to exempt yourself just to learn in a yeshiva all day."

Perspectives from Within the Community

Support for ending the exemption is also coming from religious Jews not part of the ultra-Orthodox sector, like a Bnei Brak inhabitant, who lives near the seminary and points to non-Haredi religious Jews who do perform national service while also studying Torah.

"It makes me angry that the Haredim don't perform military service," she said. "It's unfair. I also believe in the Torah, but there's a teaching in Hebrew - 'The Book and the Sword' – it signifies the Torah and the defense together. That's the way forward, until the arrival of peace."

She maintains a small memorial in the neighborhood to local soldiers, both from all backgrounds, who were fallen in war. Rows of faces {