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A gathering political storm over enlisting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military is jeopardizing Israel's government and fracturing the state.

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

The Legal Battle

Politicians are reviewing a proposal to end the deferment granted to Haredi students dedicated to full-time religious study, established when the the nation was founded in 1948.

That exemption was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court almost 20 years ago. Temporary arrangements to continue it were formally ended by the court last year, pressuring the government to commence conscription of the community.

Roughly 24,000 call-up papers were issued last year, but just approximately 1,200 Haredi conscripts showed up, according to defense officials presented to lawmakers.

Tensions Erupt Onto the Streets

Tensions are erupting onto the city centers, with lawmakers now discussing a new draft bill to require Haredi males into national service alongside other secular Israelis.

Two Haredi politicians were confronted this month by hardline activists, who are incensed with the legislative debate of the bill.

And last week, a special Border Police unit had to assist enforcement personnel who were attacked by a large crowd of Haredi men as they tried to arrest a alleged conscription dodger.

These arrests have led to the development of a new communication network called "Black Alert" to spread word quickly through Haredi neighborhoods and mobilize protesters to stop detentions from happening.

"We're a Jewish country," remarked an activist. "You can't fight against religious practice in a Jewish state. It doesn't work."

A Realm Set Aside

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

Within the study hall, teenage boys learn in partnerships to debate Judaism's religious laws, their vividly colored notepads standing out against the lines of white shirts and small black kippahs.

"Visit in the early hours, and you will see half the guys are engaged in learning," the dean of the seminary, a senior rabbi, said. "By studying Torah, we shield the soldiers on the front lines. This is our army."

Ultra-Orthodox believe that constant study and Torah learning defend Israel's military, and are as vital to its defense as its tanks and air force. That belief was acknowledged by previous governments in the past, the rabbi said, but he conceded that Israel was changing.

Increasing Societal Anger

The ultra-Orthodox population has more than doubled its share of the nation's citizens over the last seventy years, and now accounts for 14%. A policy that originated as an deferment for a few hundred yeshiva attendees evolved into, by the start of the recent conflict, a cohort of approximately 60,000 men exempt from the draft.

Surveys indicate support for ultra-Orthodox conscription is increasing. A poll in July found that 85% of the broader Jewish public - encompassing a significant majority in his own coalition allies - supported sanctions for those who ignored a draft order, with a solid consensus in supporting cutting state subsidies, travel documents, or the franchise.

"I feel there are citizens who reside in this country without contributing," one serviceman in Tel Aviv said.

"I don't think, however religious you are, [it] should be an reason not to perform service your nation," stated Gabby. "If you're born here, I find it rather absurd that you want to avoid service just to learn in a yeshiva all day."

Perspectives from Inside a Religious City

Advocacy of ending the exemption is also found among religious Jews beyond the ultra-Orthodox sector, like Dorit Barak, who lives near the academy and highlights observant but non-Haredi Jews who do perform national service while also studying Torah.

"It makes me angry that this community don't serve in the army," she said. "It's unfair. I am also committed to the Jewish law, but there's a teaching in Jewish tradition - 'Safra and Saifa' – it means the scripture and the defense together. That's the way forward, until the messianic era."

Ms Barak runs a modest remembrance site in the neighborhood to fallen servicemen, both observant and non-observant, who were lost in conflict. Rows of faces {