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An impending crisis over conscripting Haredi men into the Israel Defense Forces is jeopardizing the administration and fracturing the state.

The public mood on the question has undergone a sea change in Israel after two years of war, and this is now arguably the most divisive political issue facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Constitutional Battle

Politicians are reviewing a piece of legislation to terminate the deferment awarded to Haredi students enrolled in yeshiva learning, created when the State of Israel was founded in 1948.

The deferment was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court almost 20 years ago. Stopgap solutions to extend it were formally ended by the bench last year, forcing the cabinet to begin drafting the community.

Approximately 24,000 enlistment orders were sent out last year, but merely about 1,200 ultra-Orthodox - or Haredi - draftees enlisted, according to defense officials presented to lawmakers.

Tensions Boil Over Onto the Streets

Tensions are erupting onto the streets, with lawmakers now debating a new draft bill to compel Haredi males into army duty in the same way as other secular Israelis.

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

Recently, a specialized force had to extract enforcement personnel who were targeted by a large crowd of Haredi men as they tried to arrest a suspected draft-evader.

These enforcement actions have led to the development of a new messaging system named "Dark Alert" to rapidly disseminate information through ultra-Orthodox communities and summon demonstrators to block enforcement from happening.

"This is a Jewish state," remarked one protester. "One cannot oppose Judaism in a Jewish country. That is untenable."

A Realm Set Aside

However the transformations affecting Israel have not yet breached the environment of the Kisse Rahamim yeshiva in a Haredi stronghold, an religious community on the fringes of Tel Aviv.

Inside the classroom, young students sit in pairs to debate Jewish law, their vividly colored notepads standing out against the seats of white shirts and traditional skullcaps.

"Visit in the early hours, and you will see half the guys are studying Torah," the head of the yeshiva, the spiritual guide, noted. "By studying Torah, we shield the troops in the field. This is how we contribute."

Ultra-Orthodox believe that continuous prayer and spiritual pursuit protect Israel's soldiers, and are as vital to its security as its tanks and air force. This conviction was acknowledged by the nation's leaders in the earlier decades, Rabbi Mazuz said, but he conceded that Israel was changing.

Increasing Public Pressure

This religious sector has grown substantially its percentage of the country's people over the past seven decades, and now constitutes around one in seven. An exemption that started as an exception for a few hundred yeshiva attendees became, by the beginning of the 2023 war, a group of approximately 60,000 men not subject to the conscription.

Opinion polls show backing for ending the exemption is increasing. Research in July revealed that 85% of secular and traditional Jews - encompassing a large segment in his own coalition allies - backed consequences for those who ignored a draft order, with a solid consensus in supporting removing privileges, passports, or the franchise.

"It seems to me there are citizens who are part of this country without serving," one military member in Tel Aviv said.

"In my view, no matter how devout, [it] should be an reason not to go and serve your nation," said a Tel Aviv resident. "If you're born here, I find it somewhat unreasonable that you want to exempt yourself just to study Torah all day."

Voices from Within Bnei Brak

Backing for extending the draft is also found among religious Jews outside the ultra-Orthodox sector, like one local resident, who is a neighbor of the academy and points to non-Haredi religious Jews who do perform national service while also engaging in religious study.

"I am frustrated that the Haredim don't enlist," she said. "This creates inequality. I also believe in the Jewish law, but there's a proverb in Hebrew - 'The Book and the Sword' – it means the scripture and the defense together. This is the correct approach, until the messianic era."

She runs a local tribute in the neighborhood to local soldiers, both religious and secular, who were fallen in war. Long columns of photographs {