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A gathering crisis over drafting Haredi men into the Israeli army is threatening to undermine Israel's government and dividing the nation.

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

The Constitutional Struggle

Lawmakers are currently considering a draft bill to end the exemption granted to yeshiva scholars engaged in yeshiva learning, created when the the nation was declared in 1948.

This arrangement was declared unconstitutional by the nation's top court in the early 2000s. Temporary arrangements to extend it were finally concluded by the bench last year, compelling the cabinet to begin drafting the Haredi sector.

Approximately 24,000 enlistment orders were issued last year, but only around 1,200 men from the community showed up, according to military testimony presented to lawmakers.

Tensions Spill Into Violence

Strains are boiling over onto the city centers, with elected officials now debating a new draft bill to force Haredi males into army duty in the same way as other Israeli Jews.

Two Haredi politicians were targeted this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who are incensed with parliament's discussion of the proposed law.

In a recent incident, a specialized force had to rescue enforcement personnel who were attacked by a sizeable mob of community members as they tried to arrest a suspected draft-evader.

Such incidents have led to the development of a new messaging system dubbed "Dark Alert" to spread word quickly through the religious sector and call out demonstrators to prevent arrests from happening.

"Israel is a Jewish nation," remarked an activist. "One cannot oppose the Jewish faith in a Jewish state. It is a contradiction."

A Realm Separate

But the changes sweeping across Israel have failed to penetrate the confines of the Kisse Rahamim yeshiva in Bnei Brak, an Haredi enclave on the edge of Tel Aviv.

In the learning space, scholars sit in pairs to debate Jewish law, their distinctive notepads standing out against the rows of white shirts and small black kippahs.

"Visit in the early hours, and you will see half the guys are pursuing religious study," the leader of the yeshiva, the spiritual guide, explained. "By studying Torah, we protect the military personnel wherever they are. This is how we contribute."

Ultra-Orthodox believe that constant study and Torah learning defend Israel's armed forces, and are as vital to its security as its tanks and air force. That belief was accepted by Israel's politicians in the earlier decades, he said, but he admitted that Israel was changing.

Increasing Popular Demand

The ultra-Orthodox population has grown substantially its share of Israel's population over the since the state's founding, and now represents a sizable minority. What began as an exception for several hundred Torah scholars evolved into, by the start of the 2023 war, a cohort of approximately 60,000 men left out of the draft.

Polling data indicate support for drafting the Haredim is increasing. A survey in July showed that an overwhelming percentage of the broader Jewish public - encompassing almost three-quarters in his own coalition allies - supported penalties for those who declined a call-up notice, with a firm majority in supporting removing privileges, the right to travel, or the franchise.

"It seems to me there are people who live in this country without serving," one serviceman in Tel Aviv explained.

"I don't think, however religious you are, [it] should be an reason not to fulfill your duty to your nation," added Gabby. "As a citizen by birth, I find it quite ridiculous that you want to avoid service just to engage in religious study all day."

Perspectives from Within Bnei Brak

Advocacy of ending the exemption is also coming from observant Jews not part of the Haredi community, like Dorit Barak, who resides close to the seminary and points to observant but non-Haredi Jews who do enlist in the army while also maintaining their faith.

"It makes me angry that ultra-Orthodox people don't enlist," she said. "It is unjust. I also believe in the Torah, but there's a saying in Hebrew - 'Safra and Saifa' – it represents the scripture and the guns together. That's the way forward, until the arrival of peace."

She manages a modest remembrance site in her city to soldiers from the area, both religious and secular, who were lost in conflict. Lines of images {