A looming crisis over enlisting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israel Defense Forces is jeopardizing the governing coalition and fracturing the country.
Public opinion on the matter has changed profoundly in Israel following two years of war, and this is now possibly the most explosive political issue facing the Prime Minister.
Legislators are reviewing a piece of legislation to terminate the special status given to yeshiva scholars engaged in Torah study, created when the State of Israel was declared in 1948.
The deferment was struck down by the Supreme Court in the early 2000s. Interim measures to maintain it were officially terminated by the bench last year, pressuring the cabinet to start enlisting the community.
Approximately 24,000 enlistment orders were sent out last year, but merely about 1,200 men from the community reported for duty, according to defense officials shared with lawmakers.
Friction is spilling onto the streets, with parliamentarians now discussing a new conscription law to compel Haredi males into military service in the same way as other secular Israelis.
Two Haredi politicians were targeted this month by hardline activists, who are incensed with parliament's discussion of the bill.
In a recent incident, a specialized force had to assist army police who were targeted by a big group of Haredi men as they sought to apprehend a alleged conscription dodger.
These enforcement actions have prompted the establishment of a new communication network called "Black Alert" to rapidly disseminate information through Haredi neighborhoods and summon demonstrators to prevent arrests from occurring.
"We're a Jewish country," stated one protester. "One cannot oppose Judaism in a Jewish state. It doesn't work."
But the changes affecting Israel have failed to penetrate the walls of the Torah academy in a Haredi stronghold, an Haredi enclave on the fringes of Tel Aviv.
Within the study hall, scholars learn in partnerships to discuss the Torah, their vividly colored school notebooks standing out against the lines of light-colored shirts and small black kippahs.
"Arrive late at night, and you will see half the guys are studying Torah," the leader of the seminary, the spiritual guide, said. "By studying Torah, we protect the military personnel in the field. This constitutes our service."
Ultra-Orthodox believe that continuous prayer and spiritual pursuit defend Israel's armed forces, and are as vital to its security as its advanced weaponry. This tenet was acknowledged by previous governments in the previous eras, he said, but he conceded that the nation is evolving.
The ultra-Orthodox population has more than doubled its share of Israel's population over the past seven decades, and now represents 14%. An exemption that started as an exception for several hundred yeshiva attendees turned into, by the start of the recent conflict, a cohort of some 60,000 men exempt from the draft.
Polling data show approval of ending the exemption is growing. A survey in July found that an overwhelming percentage of non-Haredi Jews - including almost three-quarters in his own coalition allies - backed sanctions for those who refused a enlistment summons, with a firm majority in supporting removing privileges, travel documents, or the right to vote.
"It seems to me there are individuals who are part of this nation without giving anything back," one military member in Tel Aviv explained.
"In my view, however religious you are, [it] should be an justification not to fulfill your duty to your state," said a young woman. "Being a native, I find it rather absurd that you want to opt out just to learn in a yeshiva all day."
Support for ending the exemption is also expressed by observant Jews not part of the Haredi community, like Dorit Barak, who lives near the academy and points to observant but non-Haredi Jews who do serve in the military while also maintaining their faith.
"It makes me angry that ultra-Orthodox people don't serve in the army," she said. "It's unfair. I am also committed to the Torah, but there's a saying in Jewish tradition - 'Safra and Saifa' – it represents the Torah and the defense together. This is the correct approach, until the arrival of peace."
She runs a local tribute in the neighborhood to fallen servicemen, both observant and non-observant, who were fallen in war. Rows of images {
A tech enthusiast and writer passionate about emerging technologies and their impact on society, with a background in software development.
News