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A gathering political storm over conscripting Haredi men into the military is threatening to undermine the governing coalition and dividing the nation.

Popular sentiment on the matter has changed profoundly in Israel after two years of hostilities, and this is now perhaps the most divisive political challenge facing the Prime Minister.

The Constitutional Struggle

Politicians are reviewing a proposal to terminate the special status given to Haredi students dedicated to full-time religious study, established when the the nation was founded in 1948.

This arrangement was struck down by the nation's top court in the early 2000s. Temporary arrangements to continue it were officially terminated by the judiciary last year, forcing the administration to begin drafting the ultra-Orthodox population.

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

Strains Boil Over Into Public View

Tensions are erupting onto the city centers, with elected officials now discussing a new draft bill to force ultra-Orthodox men into military service in the same way as other secular Israelis.

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

Recently, a special Border Police unit had to assist Military Police officers who were targeted by a big group of ultra-Orthodox protesters as they attempted to detain a suspected draft-evader.

These enforcement actions have sparked the creation of a new alert system called "Dark Alert" to rapidly disseminate information through Haredi neighborhoods and mobilize protesters to block enforcement from happening.

"This is a Jewish state," said an activist. "You can't fight against religious practice in a Jewish state. It doesn't work."

A World Apart

But the transformations sweeping across Israel have failed to penetrate the environment of the Kisse Rahamim yeshiva in Bnei Brak, an religious community on the fringes of Tel Aviv.

Within the study hall, scholars sit in pairs to debate the Torah, their vividly colored notepads popping against the lines of formal attire and head coverings.

"Visit in the early hours, and you will see a significant portion are engaged in learning," the leader of the seminary, a senior rabbi, noted. "Via dedicated learning, we safeguard the military personnel on the front lines. This is how we contribute."

The community holds that unceasing devotion and spiritual pursuit guard Israel's military, and are as essential to its security as its advanced weaponry. This tenet was endorsed by previous governments in the previous eras, the rabbi said, but he admitted that public attitudes are shifting.

Increasing Popular Demand

This religious sector has more than doubled its proportion of Israel's population over the since the state's founding, and now accounts for 14%. What began as an exception for a small number of religious students turned into, by the start of the recent conflict, a cohort of some 60,000 men not subject to the conscription.

Opinion polls indicate backing for ending the exemption is rising. A survey in July found that 85% of the broader Jewish public - encompassing a significant majority in the Prime Minister's political base - backed sanctions for those who refused a draft order, with a firm majority in approving withdrawing benefits, passports, or the electoral participation.

"I feel there are people who live in this country without contributing," one military member in Tel Aviv said.

"It is my belief, regardless of piety, [it] should be an justification not to fulfill your duty to your nation," said a Tel Aviv resident. "Being a native, I find it quite ridiculous that you want to avoid service just to learn in a yeshiva all day."

Views from the Heart of Bnei Brak

Advocacy of extending the draft is also coming from observant Jews not part of the Haredi community, like one local resident, who is a neighbor of the academy and notes religious Zionists who do enlist in the army while also maintaining their faith.

"I am frustrated that the Haredim don't enlist," she said. "It is unjust. I am also committed to the Torah, but there's a saying in Hebrew - 'Safra and Saifa' – it represents the Torah and the guns together. This is the correct approach, until the arrival of peace."

The resident manages a modest remembrance site in Bnei Brak to local soldiers, both observant and non-observant, who were lost in conflict. Lines of images {