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A gathering political storm over conscripting Haredi men into the Israel Defense Forces is threatening to undermine the administration and fracturing the state.

The public mood on the issue has changed profoundly in Israel following two years of war, and this is now arguably the most explosive political risk facing Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Constitutional Conflict

Politicians are now debating a proposal to end the special status given to yeshiva scholars engaged in full-time religious study, established when the the nation was established in 1948.

The deferment was declared unconstitutional by Israel's High Court of Justice two decades ago. Temporary arrangements to extend it were formally ended by the judiciary last year, forcing the administration to commence conscription of the community.

Some 24,000 enlistment orders were issued last year, but only around 1,200 ultra-Orthodox - or Haredi - draftees showed up, according to defense officials presented to lawmakers.

Tensions Spill Onto the Streets

Strains are boiling over onto the streets, with elected officials now deliberating a new conscription law to compel Haredi males into national service alongside other Israeli Jews.

Two Haredi politicians were harassed this month by hardline activists, who are furious with the legislative debate of the draft legislation.

Recently, a specialized force had to extract army police who were attacked by a big group of ultra-Orthodox protesters as they attempted to detain a alleged conscription dodger.

These arrests have sparked the creation of a new communication network dubbed "Emergency Alert" to rapidly disseminate information through the religious sector and call out demonstrators to stop detentions from taking place.

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

A Realm Apart

Yet the shifts sweeping across Israel have failed to penetrate the confines of the religious seminary in an ultra-Orthodox city, an Haredi enclave on the fringes of Tel Aviv.

Inside the classroom, teenage boys sit in pairs to debate the Torah, their brightly coloured writing books popping against the rows of white shirts and head coverings.

"Come at one in the morning, and you will see half the guys are pursuing religious study," the head of the yeshiva, the spiritual guide, explained. "Via dedicated learning, we safeguard the military personnel on the front lines. This is how we contribute."

Ultra-Orthodox believe that unceasing devotion and spiritual pursuit guard Israel's armed forces, and are as crucial to its defense as its tanks and air force. This tenet was acknowledged by previous governments in the past, the rabbi said, but he conceded that Israel was changing.

Rising Societal Anger

The Haredi community has significantly increased its percentage of Israel's population over the last seventy years, and now represents a sizable minority. An exemption that started as an deferment for a small number of Torah scholars evolved into, by the beginning of the recent conflict, a body of tens of thousands of men not subject to the national service.

Surveys show backing for drafting the Haredim is rising. A survey in July revealed that 85% of non-Haredi Jews - including almost three-quarters in the Prime Minister's political base - supported consequences for those who declined a enlistment summons, with a clear majority in supporting cutting state subsidies, passports, or the franchise.

"It makes me feel there are individuals who are part of this nation without giving anything back," one off-duty soldier in Tel Aviv commented.

"I don't think, no matter how devout, [it] should be an excuse not to go and serve your state," stated Gabby. "If you're born here, I find it rather absurd that you want to avoid service just to study Torah all day."

Views from Within a Religious City

Support for extending the draft is also found among observant Jews beyond the Haredi community, like a Bnei Brak inhabitant, who is a neighbor of the seminary and notes religious Zionists who do enlist in the army while also maintaining their faith.

"I'm very angry that the Haredim don't serve in the army," she said. "It is unjust. I am also committed to the Jewish law, but there's a proverb in Jewish tradition - 'The Book and the Sword' – it signifies the Torah and the defense together. That is the path, until the messianic era."

The resident maintains a local tribute in her city to local soldiers, both from all backgrounds, who were lost in conflict. Long columns of images {