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A gathering political storm over enlisting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military is posing a risk to the governing coalition and dividing the nation.

The public mood on the issue has changed profoundly in Israel following two years of war, and this is now perhaps the most volatile political issue facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Judicial Battle

Politicians are now debating a piece of legislation to terminate the special status awarded to yeshiva scholars dedicated to Torah study, instituted when the modern Israel was declared in 1948.

That exemption was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court almost 20 years ago. Temporary arrangements to continue it were finally concluded by the judiciary last year, forcing the government to begin drafting the ultra-Orthodox population.

Some 24,000 call-up papers were delivered last year, but merely about 1,200 ultra-Orthodox - or Haredi - draftees reported for duty, according to army data shared with lawmakers.

Friction Spill Into Violence

Tensions are erupting onto the streets, with elected officials now discussing a new draft bill to require Haredi males into army duty in the same way as other Israeli Jews.

Two representatives were targeted this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who are incensed with the legislative debate of the proposed law.

Recently, a specialized force had to rescue enforcement personnel who were surrounded by a big group of community members as they tried to arrest a man avoiding service.

These enforcement actions have sparked the creation of a new alert system dubbed "Dark Alert" to send out instant alerts through Haredi neighborhoods and mobilize activists to prevent arrests from taking place.

"Israel is a Jewish nation," said Shmuel Orbach. "One cannot oppose religious practice in a Jewish state. It is a contradiction."

A Realm Separate

However the changes affecting Israel have not reached the environment of the religious seminary in a Haredi stronghold, an religious community on the edge of Tel Aviv.

Within the study hall, young students learn in partnerships to analyze Jewish law, their vividly colored notepads popping against the seats of formal attire and head coverings.

"Arrive late at night, and you will see a significant portion are engaged in learning," the dean of the yeshiva, the spiritual guide, explained. "Via dedicated learning, we protect the troops wherever they are. This is how we contribute."

Ultra-Orthodox believe that continuous prayer and religious study defend Israel's armed forces, and are as essential to its military success as its tanks and air force. That belief was accepted by the nation's leaders in the previous eras, the rabbi said, but he acknowledged that public attitudes are shifting.

Growing Public Pressure

The ultra-Orthodox population has significantly increased its percentage of Israel's population over the last seventy years, and now accounts for 14%. An exemption that started as an exemption for a few hundred Torah scholars turned into, by the start of the Gaza war, a body of some 60,000 men not subject to the conscription.

Surveys suggest approval of ultra-Orthodox conscription is growing. Research in July found that 85% of secular and traditional Jews - including almost three-quarters in the Prime Minister's political base - favored penalties for those who refused a call-up notice, with a clear majority in supporting removing privileges, travel documents, or the right to vote.

"I feel there are individuals who reside in this country without giving anything back," one off-duty soldier in Tel Aviv said.

"I don't think, no matter how devout, [it] should be an excuse not to go and serve your country," stated Gabby. "As a citizen by birth, I find it quite ridiculous that you want to avoid service just to engage in religious study all day."

Views from the Heart of the Community

Advocacy of broadening conscription is also coming from traditional Jews outside the Haredi community, like Dorit Barak, who is a neighbor of the academy and highlights non-Haredi religious Jews who do perform national service while also studying Torah.

"I am frustrated that ultra-Orthodox people don't serve in the army," she said. "This creates inequality. I am also committed to the Jewish law, but there's a proverb in Hebrew - 'The Book and the Sword' – it represents the scripture and the weapons together. This is the correct approach, until the messianic era."

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