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A looming crisis over drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military is jeopardizing Israel's government and fracturing the country.

The public mood on the matter has shifted dramatically in Israel following two years of war, and this is now perhaps the most volatile political risk facing the Prime Minister.

The Legal Conflict

Lawmakers are reviewing a proposal to abolish the special status awarded to Haredi students enrolled in full-time religious study, created when the the nation was founded in 1948.

The deferment was declared unconstitutional by the nation's top court two decades ago. Temporary arrangements to extend it were officially terminated by the court last year, forcing the cabinet to start enlisting the ultra-Orthodox population.

Some 24,000 call-up papers were delivered last year, but merely about 1,200 Haredi conscripts reported for duty, according to military testimony presented to lawmakers.

Tensions Spill Into Violence

Tensions are erupting onto the city centers, with elected officials now deliberating a new draft bill to force ultra-Orthodox men into military service together with other Jewish citizens.

Two Haredi politicians were harassed this month by radical elements, who are furious with the legislative debate of the bill.

In a recent incident, a special Border Police unit had to extract Military Police officers who were targeted by a big group of community members as they tried to arrest a man avoiding service.

These enforcement actions have prompted the establishment of a new communication network dubbed "Emergency Alert" to send out instant alerts through ultra-Orthodox communities and summon activists to stop detentions from taking place.

"We're a Jewish country," remarked an activist. "One cannot oppose the Jewish faith in a Jewish state. That is untenable."

An Environment Apart

Yet the shifts sweeping across Israel have not yet breached the environment of the Torah academy in an ultra-Orthodox city, an ultra-Orthodox city on the fringes of Tel Aviv.

In the learning space, scholars sit in pairs to debate the Torah, their distinctive writing books popping against the rows of white shirts and small black kippahs.

"Come at one in the morning, and you will see half the guys are engaged in learning," the leader of the seminary, the spiritual guide, noted. "Through religious study, we protect the troops on the front lines. This constitutes our service."

Haredi Jews maintain that constant study and religious study protect Israel's military, and are as crucial to its military success as its advanced weaponry. This tenet was endorsed by previous governments in the previous eras, Rabbi Mazuz said, but he conceded that public attitudes are shifting.

Increasing Societal Anger

The ultra-Orthodox population has more than doubled its proportion of the country's people over the past seven decades, and now accounts for around one in seven. A policy that originated as an exception for several hundred yeshiva attendees turned into, by the onset of the Gaza war, a body of tens of thousands of men not subject to the conscription.

Opinion polls indicate support for drafting the Haredim is rising. Research in July revealed that a large majority of secular and traditional Jews - including a large segment in the Prime Minister's political base - backed sanctions for those who ignored a call-up notice, with a solid consensus in supporting withdrawing benefits, travel documents, or the franchise.

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

"It is my belief, no matter how devout, [it] should be an excuse not to go and serve your nation," stated a young woman. "Being a native, I find it quite ridiculous that you want to opt out just to study Torah all day."

Perspectives from Within Bnei Brak

Backing for broadening conscription is also coming from traditional Jews beyond the ultra-Orthodox sector, like Dorit Barak, who resides close to the academy and highlights non-Haredi religious Jews who do enlist in the army while also studying Torah.

"It makes me angry that ultra-Orthodox people don't enlist," she said. "This creates inequality. I too follow the Torah, but there's a teaching in Jewish tradition - 'The Book and the Sword' – it represents the Torah and the defense together. That's the way forward, until the arrival of peace."

The resident maintains a local tribute in her city to soldiers from the area, both observant and non-observant, who were fallen in war. Lines of photographs {