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A looming crisis over conscripting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israeli army is jeopardizing the governing coalition and fracturing the country.

Public opinion on the issue has shifted dramatically in Israel after two years of conflict, and this is now possibly the most divisive political issue facing Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Constitutional Struggle

Legislators are now debating a draft bill to end the special status granted to ultra-Orthodox men dedicated to yeshiva learning, instituted when the the nation was founded in 1948.

That exemption was ruled illegal by the nation's top court in the early 2000s. Temporary arrangements to extend it were formally ended by the bench last year, forcing the cabinet to commence conscription of the Haredi sector.

Roughly 24,000 enlistment orders were sent out last year, but just approximately 1,200 Haredi conscripts reported for duty, according to army data given to lawmakers.

Tensions Boil Over Onto the Streets

Friction is spilling onto the streets, with elected officials now discussing a new draft bill to compel ultra-Orthodox men into army duty together with other Jewish citizens.

Two representatives were confronted this month by radical elements, who are furious with parliament's discussion of the bill.

Recently, a special Border Police unit had to assist enforcement personnel who were surrounded 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 "Emergency Alert" to spread word quickly through ultra-Orthodox communities and call out demonstrators to block enforcement from happening.

"We're a Jewish country," said one protester. "You can't fight against religious practice in a Jewish country. That is untenable."

An Environment Set Aside

But the shifts affecting Israel have failed to penetrate the walls of the religious seminary in Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox city on the fringes of Tel Aviv.

Within the study hall, scholars sit in pairs to analyze Jewish law, their vividly colored notepads standing out against the lines of formal attire and head coverings.

"Arrive late at night, and you will see half the guys are pursuing religious study," the head of the yeshiva, a senior rabbi, noted. "Through religious study, we protect the troops wherever they are. This constitutes our service."

Ultra-Orthodox believe that continuous prayer and Torah learning guard Israel's military, and are as crucial to its military success as its conventional forces. This conviction was endorsed by Israel's politicians in the previous eras, the rabbi said, but he acknowledged that the nation is evolving.

Growing Public Pressure

The ultra-Orthodox population has significantly increased its percentage of the nation's citizens over the last seventy years, and now represents around one in seven. An exemption that started as an exception for several hundred religious students evolved into, by the start of the recent conflict, a cohort of approximately 60,000 men exempt from the national service.

Polling data suggest approval of ultra-Orthodox conscription is rising. A survey in July revealed that an overwhelming percentage of the broader Jewish public - even a large segment in his own coalition allies - supported sanctions for those who ignored a enlistment summons, with a firm majority in supporting withdrawing benefits, the right to travel, or the electoral participation.

"It makes me feel there are people who are part of this country without contributing," one off-duty soldier in Tel Aviv said.

"It is my belief, regardless of piety, [it] should be an excuse not to fulfill your duty to your nation," stated Gabby. "As a citizen by birth, I find it somewhat unreasonable that you want to exempt yourself just to learn in a yeshiva all day."

Views from Inside the Community

Advocacy of broadening conscription is also found among religious Jews beyond the ultra-Orthodox sector, like a Bnei Brak inhabitant, who lives near the academy and highlights non-Haredi religious Jews who do perform national service while also engaging in religious study.

"I am frustrated that ultra-Orthodox people don't perform military service," she said. "This creates inequality. I too follow the Jewish law, but there's a saying in Hebrew - 'The Book and the Sword' – it represents the Torah and the guns together. That is the path, until the days of peace."

The resident manages a small memorial in her city to soldiers from the area, both observant and non-observant, who were killed in battle. Long columns of photographs {