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A looming crisis over drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military is threatening to undermine the governing coalition and splitting the state.

The public mood on the matter has shifted dramatically in Israel in the wake of two years of hostilities, and this is now arguably the most divisive political challenge facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Judicial Battle

Politicians are reviewing a piece of legislation to abolish the exemption awarded to ultra-Orthodox men dedicated to yeshiva learning, created when the modern Israel was declared in 1948.

This arrangement was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court two decades ago. Stopgap solutions to continue it were formally ended by the judiciary last year, forcing the cabinet to start enlisting the Haredi sector.

Approximately 24,000 enlistment orders were sent out last year, but just approximately 1,200 ultra-Orthodox - or Haredi - draftees reported for duty, according to defense officials presented to lawmakers.

Tensions Boil Over Into Public View

Tensions are erupting onto the public squares, with parliamentarians now debating a new legislative proposal to compel ultra-Orthodox men into army duty alongside other Jewish citizens.

Two Haredi politicians were targeted this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who are enraged with the legislative debate of the bill.

And last week, a elite police squad had to rescue army police who were surrounded by a sizeable mob of ultra-Orthodox protesters as they tried to arrest a suspected draft-evader.

These arrests have led to the development of a new messaging system dubbed "Black Alert" to send out instant alerts through ultra-Orthodox communities and summon protesters to prevent arrests from occurring.

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

A Realm Apart

However the shifts affecting Israel have failed to penetrate the walls of the Kisse Rahamim yeshiva in Bnei Brak, an religious community on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

Inside the classroom, teenage boys sit in pairs to analyze Judaism's religious laws, their brightly coloured notepads popping against the rows of formal attire and head coverings.

"Come at one in the morning, and you will see half the guys are studying Torah," the head of the yeshiva, a senior rabbi, said. "Via dedicated learning, we shield the troops wherever they are. This is our army."

Ultra-Orthodox believe that constant study and religious study protect Israel's soldiers, and are as crucial to its military success as its advanced weaponry. This tenet was endorsed by Israel's politicians in the previous eras, Rabbi Mazuz said, but he admitted that the nation is evolving.

Growing Popular Demand

The ultra-Orthodox population has more than doubled its proportion of the nation's citizens over the past seven decades, and now represents 14%. An exemption that started as an exception for a small number of religious students turned into, by the beginning of the Gaza war, a body of some 60,000 men left out of the draft.

Surveys suggest support for drafting the Haredim is increasing. A survey in July found that an overwhelming percentage of non-Haredi Jews - even a large segment in his own coalition allies - backed penalties for those who refused a call-up notice, with a firm majority in favor of withdrawing benefits, travel documents, or the right to vote.

"I feel there are individuals who live in this nation without giving anything back," one military member in Tel Aviv said.

"I don't think, regardless of piety, [it] should be an excuse not to go and serve your nation," stated Gabby. "Being a native, I find it rather absurd that you want to exempt yourself just to learn in a yeshiva all day."

Perspectives from Inside Bnei Brak

Backing for ending the exemption is also expressed by observant Jews outside the Haredi community, like a Bnei Brak inhabitant, who is a neighbor of the academy and points to observant but non-Haredi Jews who do serve in the military while also engaging in religious study.

"I am frustrated that this community don't serve in the army," she said. "It's unfair. I too follow the Torah, but there's a saying in Jewish tradition - 'The Book and the Sword' – it represents the scripture and the defense together. That is the path, until the arrival of peace."

Ms Barak manages a local tribute in the neighborhood to soldiers from the area, both observant and non-observant, who were fallen in war. Lines of photographs {