A Major Crisis Looms in Israel Concerning Haredi Military Draft Proposal

An impending crisis over drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military is jeopardizing Israel's government and dividing the country.

Popular sentiment on the matter has undergone a sea change in Israel after two years of conflict, and this is now perhaps the most volatile political challenge facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Judicial Conflict

Politicians are now debating a proposal to terminate the special status given to Haredi students dedicated to yeshiva learning, created when the modern Israel was established in 1948.

That exemption was struck down by the nation's top court two decades ago. Stopgap solutions to maintain it were formally ended by the court last year, forcing the administration to begin drafting the community.

Approximately 24,000 enlistment orders were sent out last year, but merely about 1,200 men from the community enlisted, according to army data given to lawmakers.

Tensions Spill Into Violence

Friction is spilling onto the city centers, with elected officials now discussing a new legislative proposal to compel yeshiva students into army duty alongside other secular Israelis.

A pair of ultra-Orthodox lawmakers were harassed this month by hardline activists, who are enraged with the legislative debate of the draft legislation.

And last week, a specialized force had to assist enforcement personnel who were targeted by a sizeable mob of ultra-Orthodox protesters as they tried to arrest a suspected draft-evader.

These arrests have sparked the creation of a new communication network named "Black Alert" to spread word quickly through ultra-Orthodox communities and call out demonstrators to block enforcement from occurring.

"Israel is a Jewish nation," said one protester. "It's impossible to battle religious practice in a Jewish state. That is untenable."

An Environment Apart

However the changes affecting Israel have not reached the confines of the Torah academy in Bnei Brak, an Haredi enclave on the fringes of Tel Aviv.

Inside the classroom, scholars study together to discuss Jewish law, their distinctive notepads standing out against the rows of light-colored shirts and traditional skullcaps.

"Visit in the early hours, and you will see a significant portion are pursuing religious study," the head of the academy, the spiritual guide, explained. "By studying Torah, we shield the troops in the field. This constitutes our service."

Haredi Jews maintain that unceasing devotion and spiritual pursuit defend Israel's armed forces, and are as crucial to its military success as its conventional forces. This tenet was acknowledged by Israel's politicians in the past, he said, but he conceded that public attitudes are shifting.

Increasing Popular Demand

The Haredi community has more than doubled its percentage of the nation's citizens over the past seven decades, and now represents a sizable minority. What began as an deferment for a small number of religious students became, by the start of the recent conflict, a cohort of tens of thousands of men exempt from the national service.

Polling data suggest support for ending the exemption is rising. A poll in July showed that a large majority of the broader Jewish public - encompassing a significant majority in his own coalition allies - backed sanctions for those who declined a call-up notice, with a firm majority in approving cutting state subsidies, travel documents, or the right to vote.

"It seems to me there are citizens who are part of this nation without contributing," one off-duty soldier in Tel Aviv commented.

"In my view, regardless of piety, [it] should be an excuse not to fulfill your duty to your country," stated a young woman. "If you're born here, I find it quite ridiculous that you want to opt out just to engage in religious study all day."

Voices from Inside the Community

Support for broadening conscription is also found among observant Jews outside the ultra-Orthodox sector, like Dorit Barak, who is a neighbor of the seminary and points to religious Zionists who do perform national service while also maintaining their faith.

"I am frustrated that ultra-Orthodox people don't perform military service," she said. "It's unfair. I am also committed to the Torah, but there's a proverb in Jewish tradition - 'Safra and Saifa' – it signifies the Torah and the guns together. That's the way forward, until the days of peace."

Ms Barak runs a local tribute in her city to soldiers from the area, both observant and non-observant, who were killed in battle. Lines of photographs {