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A looming political storm over drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israel Defense Forces is threatening to undermine the governing coalition and dividing the nation.

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

The Judicial Battle

Legislators are reviewing a piece of legislation to terminate the exemption awarded to yeshiva scholars enrolled in Torah study, established when the modern Israel was declared 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 bench last year, forcing the cabinet to commence conscription of the Haredi sector.

Roughly 24,000 enlistment orders were sent out last year, but just approximately 1,200 Haredi conscripts enlisted, according to military testimony shared with lawmakers.

Tensions Erupt Onto the Streets

Friction is spilling onto the city centers, with lawmakers now debating a new legislative proposal to compel ultra-Orthodox men into army duty in the same way as other Jewish citizens.

A pair of ultra-Orthodox lawmakers were confronted this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who are enraged with parliament's discussion of the bill.

Recently, a specialized force had to extract Military Police officers who were attacked by a big group of Haredi men as they tried to arrest a man avoiding service.

These enforcement actions have prompted the establishment of a new communication network dubbed "Emergency Alert" to rapidly disseminate information through ultra-Orthodox communities and call out demonstrators to block enforcement from occurring.

"This is a Jewish state," stated one protester. "You can't fight against Judaism in a nation founded on Jewish identity. It doesn't work."

A World Set Aside

Yet the changes sweeping across Israel have not reached the walls of the Torah academy in an ultra-Orthodox city, an ultra-Orthodox city on the fringes of Tel Aviv.

Within the study hall, young students learn in partnerships to discuss the Torah, their vividly colored writing books standing out against the seats of white shirts and small black kippahs.

"Arrive late at night, and you will see a significant portion are engaged in learning," the head of the yeshiva, the spiritual guide, noted. "Via dedicated learning, we protect the soldiers in the field. This constitutes our service."

Haredi Jews maintain that constant study and Torah learning defend Israel's soldiers, and are as crucial to its military success as its tanks and air force. This conviction was acknowledged by Israel's politicians in the earlier decades, the rabbi said, but he conceded that public attitudes are shifting.

Rising Public Pressure

This religious sector has grown substantially its share of Israel's population over the since the state's founding, and now constitutes 14%. What began as an deferment for several hundred religious students became, by the onset of the 2023 war, a cohort of some 60,000 men exempt from the conscription.

Surveys indicate approval of ultra-Orthodox conscription is growing. Research in July revealed that 85% of non-Haredi Jews - including a significant majority in Netanyahu's own right-wing Likud party - backed consequences for those who ignored a enlistment summons, with a firm majority in supporting removing privileges, passports, or the franchise.

"It seems to me there are individuals who are part of this nation without contributing," one military member in Tel Aviv said.

"In my view, no matter how devout, [it] should be an justification not to fulfill your duty to your country," said Gabby. "Being a native, I find it somewhat unreasonable that you want to exempt yourself just to engage in religious study all day."

Voices from Within Bnei Brak

Backing for broadening conscription is also coming from religious Jews beyond the Haredi community, like one local resident, who is a neighbor of the academy and notes non-Haredi religious Jews who do enlist in the army while also maintaining their faith.

"It makes me angry that the Haredim don't enlist," she said. "This creates inequality. I too follow the Torah, but there's a proverb in Hebrew - 'The Book and the Sword' – it represents the Torah and the weapons together. That's the way forward, until the days of peace."

Ms Barak maintains a local tribute in Bnei Brak to local soldiers, both observant and non-observant, who were fallen in war. Long columns of photographs {