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A looming political storm over conscripting Haredi men into the Israeli army is threatening to undermine the administration and splitting the nation.

Popular sentiment on the matter has undergone a sea change in Israel following two years of conflict, and this is now arguably the most volatile political issue facing Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Judicial Conflict

Legislators are reviewing a piece of legislation to end the exemption awarded to yeshiva scholars dedicated to yeshiva learning, established when the State of Israel was founded in 1948.

The deferment was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court almost 20 years ago. Stopgap solutions to continue it were formally ended by the court last year, pressuring the administration to start enlisting the Haredi sector.

Some 24,000 call-up papers were sent out last year, but merely about 1,200 Haredi conscripts reported for duty, according to defense officials shared with lawmakers.

Friction Boil Over Into Violence

Tensions are erupting onto the public squares, with parliamentarians now discussing a new draft bill to force yeshiva students into military service in the same way as other Israeli Jews.

Two Haredi politicians were harassed this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who are incensed with the Knesset's deliberations of the draft legislation.

And last week, a specialized force had to assist army police who were targeted by a sizeable mob of ultra-Orthodox protesters as they sought to apprehend a man avoiding service.

Such incidents have led to the development of a new alert system called "Dark Alert" to send out instant alerts through Haredi neighborhoods and summon activists to prevent arrests from taking place.

"This is a Jewish state," remarked an activist. "It's impossible to battle the Jewish faith in a Jewish country. It doesn't work."

A Realm Apart

Yet the changes blowing through Israel have not yet breached the confines of the Torah academy in Bnei Brak, an religious community on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

Within the study hall, young students learn in partnerships to analyze Judaism's religious laws, their vividly colored notepads standing out against the rows of formal attire and small black kippahs.

"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. "Through religious study, we safeguard the troops on the front lines. This is how we contribute."

Haredi Jews maintain that constant study and spiritual pursuit defend Israel's soldiers, and are as essential to its military success as its advanced weaponry. This conviction was acknowledged by previous governments in the previous eras, the rabbi said, but he admitted that public attitudes are shifting.

Increasing Popular Demand

The ultra-Orthodox population has significantly increased its proportion of the country's people over the last seventy years, and now constitutes around one in seven. What began as an deferment for a few hundred religious students evolved into, by the beginning of the recent conflict, a cohort of tens of thousands of men left out of the draft.

Polling data suggest support for ultra-Orthodox conscription is growing. Research in July revealed that an overwhelming percentage of secular and traditional Jews - encompassing a significant majority in Netanyahu's own right-wing Likud party - favored consequences for those who refused a draft order, with a firm majority in favor of cutting state subsidies, travel documents, or the right to vote.

"It seems to me there are citizens who are part of this country without contributing," one serviceman in Tel Aviv explained.

"In my view, however religious you are, [it] should be an reason not to go and serve your nation," said a young woman. "Being a native, I find it somewhat unreasonable that you want to exempt yourself just to engage in religious study all day."

Perspectives from the Heart of Bnei Brak

Backing for extending the draft is also expressed by traditional Jews beyond the ultra-Orthodox sector, like one local resident, who is a neighbor of the yeshiva and points to non-Haredi religious Jews who do perform national service while also maintaining their faith.

"I'm very angry that this community don't serve in the army," she said. "This creates inequality. I also believe in the Torah, but there's a proverb in Hebrew - 'The Book and the Sword' – it signifies the Torah and the defense together. That is the path, until the arrival of peace."

Ms Barak maintains a local tribute in Bnei Brak to local soldiers, both from all backgrounds, who were lost in conflict. Rows of faces {