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An impending crisis over drafting Haredi men into the Israel Defense Forces is threatening to undermine the governing coalition and dividing the nation.

Public opinion on the question has undergone a sea change in Israel in the wake of two years of war, and this is now arguably the most volatile political risk facing the Prime Minister.

The Constitutional Conflict

Lawmakers are reviewing a piece of legislation to end the special status granted to Haredi students dedicated to Torah study, established when the the nation was declared in 1948.

This arrangement was ruled illegal by Israel's High Court of Justice almost 20 years ago. Temporary arrangements to continue it were finally concluded by the bench last year, forcing the government to begin drafting the Haredi sector.

Some 24,000 call-up papers were sent out last year, but merely about 1,200 men from the community reported for duty, according to army data presented to lawmakers.

Friction Erupt Into Violence

Strains are boiling over onto the public squares, with parliamentarians now debating a new legislative proposal to require ultra-Orthodox men into army duty together with other Israeli Jews.

Two representatives were harassed this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who are enraged with the Knesset's deliberations of the bill.

And last week, a specialized force had to rescue army police who were attacked by a sizeable mob of Haredi men as they attempted to detain a suspected draft-evader.

Such incidents have prompted the establishment of a new messaging system called "Dark Alert" to rapidly disseminate information through the religious sector and mobilize activists to stop detentions from taking place.

"This is a Jewish state," stated Shmuel Orbach. "One cannot oppose the Jewish faith in a nation founded on Jewish identity. It doesn't work."

A Realm Set Aside

However the shifts blowing through Israel have not reached the confines of the Torah academy in a Haredi stronghold, an Haredi enclave on the edge of Tel Aviv.

Inside the classroom, young students study together to debate Jewish law, their distinctive writing books contrasting with the lines of formal attire and head coverings.

"Come at one in the morning, and you will see a significant portion are pursuing religious study," the dean of the yeshiva, the spiritual guide, said. "Through religious study, we protect the military personnel on the front lines. This constitutes our service."

Haredi Jews maintain that continuous prayer and spiritual pursuit guard Israel's military, and are as vital to its military success as its tanks and air force. This tenet was acknowledged by Israel's politicians in the previous eras, he said, but he acknowledged that Israel was changing.

Increasing Societal Anger

This religious sector has grown substantially its percentage of the nation's citizens over the since the state's founding, and now represents around one in seven. A policy that originated as an deferment for several hundred religious students turned into, by the start of the Gaza war, a cohort of some 60,000 men left out of the national service.

Opinion polls suggest backing for ultra-Orthodox conscription is growing. Research in July found that 85% of secular and traditional Jews - including a large segment in his own coalition allies - favored sanctions for those who declined a call-up notice, with a clear majority in supporting cutting state subsidies, the right to travel, or the franchise.

"I feel there are citizens who are part of this nation without contributing," one serviceman in Tel Aviv said.

"It is my belief, regardless of piety, [it] should be an justification not to fulfill your duty to your state," added a Tel Aviv resident. "Being a native, I find it quite ridiculous that you want to avoid service just to engage in religious study all day."

Perspectives from Within a Religious City

Advocacy of extending the draft is also coming from observant Jews outside the ultra-Orthodox sector, like a Bnei Brak inhabitant, who resides close to the seminary and points to observant but non-Haredi Jews who do perform national service while also maintaining their faith.

"I'm very angry that the Haredim don't serve in the army," she said. "This creates inequality. I too follow the Torah, but there's a saying in Jewish tradition - 'Safra and Saifa' – it signifies the scripture and the guns together. This is the correct approach, until the arrival of peace."

The resident manages a local tribute in the neighborhood to soldiers from the area, both from all backgrounds, who were fallen in war. Long columns of images {