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An impending crisis over enlisting Haredi men into the Israel Defense Forces is posing a risk to the governing coalition and dividing the country.

Public opinion on the question has changed profoundly in Israel after two years of conflict, and this is now arguably the most volatile political challenge facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Judicial Battle

Politicians are now debating a proposal to terminate the special status granted to ultra-Orthodox men dedicated to full-time religious study, created when the the nation was established in 1948.

That exemption was struck down by the Supreme Court almost 20 years ago. Temporary arrangements to extend it were finally concluded by the bench last year, forcing the government to start enlisting the Haredi sector.

Roughly 24,000 enlistment orders were sent out last year, but just approximately 1,200 Haredi conscripts showed up, according to military testimony presented to lawmakers.

Tensions Spill Into Violence

Friction is spilling onto the city centers, with parliamentarians now discussing a new legislative proposal to force yeshiva students into military service in the same way as other Jewish citizens.

Two representatives were targeted this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who are furious with parliament's discussion of the proposed law.

Recently, a special Border Police unit had to extract army police who were attacked by a large crowd of community members as they sought to apprehend a suspected draft-evader.

These enforcement actions have led to the development of a new messaging system called "Black Alert" to send out instant alerts through the religious sector and call out protesters to stop detentions from taking place.

"We're a Jewish country," said an activist. "One cannot oppose Judaism in a Jewish country. It doesn't work."

A World Separate

Yet the changes affecting Israel have not yet breached the environment of the Torah academy in an ultra-Orthodox city, an religious community on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

Within the study hall, scholars study together to discuss Jewish law, their distinctive notepads contrasting with the lines of light-colored shirts and head coverings.

"Visit in the early hours, and you will see a significant portion are pursuing religious study," the dean of the yeshiva, Rabbi Tzemach Mazuz, explained. "Via dedicated learning, we protect the soldiers wherever they are. This is our army."

The community holds that continuous prayer and religious study defend Israel's soldiers, and are as crucial to its security as its conventional forces. That belief was acknowledged by Israel's politicians in the past, Rabbi Mazuz said, but he conceded that Israel was changing.

Growing Societal Anger

The Haredi community has significantly increased its proportion of the nation's citizens over the past seven decades, and now represents 14%. A policy that originated as an exception for a small number of Torah scholars became, by the start of the Gaza war, a cohort of approximately 60,000 men not subject to the conscription.

Polling data show backing for drafting the Haredim is increasing. A survey in July showed that an overwhelming percentage of the broader Jewish public - encompassing almost three-quarters in the Prime Minister's political base - supported consequences for those who ignored a draft order, with a clear majority in supporting cutting state subsidies, passports, or the franchise.

"It makes me feel there are people who live in this nation without serving," one off-duty soldier in Tel Aviv explained.

"I don't think, however religious you are, [it] should be an reason not to perform service your nation," said a young woman. "As a citizen by birth, I find it somewhat unreasonable that you want to exempt yourself just to study Torah all day."

Voices from Within the Community

Backing for extending the draft is also expressed by religious Jews beyond the Haredi community, like one local resident, who is a neighbor of the seminary and notes religious Zionists who do perform national service while also engaging in religious study.

"I am frustrated that the Haredim don't perform military service," she said. "It's unfair. I too follow the Jewish law, but there's a proverb in Jewish tradition - 'The Book and the Sword' – it represents the scripture and the defense together. This is the correct approach, until the days of peace."

The resident runs a small memorial in Bnei Brak to fallen servicemen, both religious and secular, who were lost in conflict. Long columns of photographs {