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An impending political storm over drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military is threatening to undermine Israel's government and splitting the state.

The public mood on the question has changed profoundly in Israel after two years of hostilities, and this is now arguably the most volatile political challenge facing the Prime Minister.

The Judicial Battle

Legislators are reviewing a draft bill to terminate the exemption awarded to Haredi students enrolled in yeshiva learning, instituted when the the nation was established in 1948.

This arrangement was struck down by the Supreme Court almost 20 years ago. Temporary arrangements to extend it were formally ended by the judiciary last year, compelling the cabinet to start enlisting the Haredi sector.

Some 24,000 call-up papers were issued last year, but just approximately 1,200 ultra-Orthodox - or Haredi - draftees showed up, according to army data given to lawmakers.

Strains Erupt Into Violence

Strains are boiling over onto the city centers, with elected officials now discussing a new legislative proposal to force ultra-Orthodox men into military service alongside other Israeli Jews.

A pair of ultra-Orthodox lawmakers were harassed this month by some extreme ultra-Orthodox protesters, who are furious with the legislative debate of the bill.

In a recent incident, a elite police squad had to rescue army police who were attacked by a sizeable mob of Haredi men as they attempted to detain a suspected draft-evader.

Such incidents have prompted the establishment of a new alert system called "Emergency Alert" to send out instant alerts through the religious sector and mobilize activists to prevent arrests from occurring.

"We're a Jewish country," remarked an activist. "You can't fight against religious practice in a Jewish state. It is a contradiction."

An Environment Separate

However the changes affecting Israel have not reached the walls of the Torah academy in an ultra-Orthodox city, an Haredi enclave on the edge of Tel Aviv.

In the learning space, young students study together to debate Jewish law, their brightly coloured writing books standing out against the lines of white shirts and traditional skullcaps.

"Visit in the early hours, and you will see many of the students are engaged in learning," the head of the seminary, Rabbi Tzemach Mazuz, said. "By studying Torah, we protect the troops wherever they are. This is our army."

Haredi Jews maintain that continuous prayer and spiritual pursuit defend Israel's military, and are as vital to its military success as its advanced weaponry. This conviction was accepted by previous governments in the past, the rabbi said, but he conceded that the nation is evolving.

Rising Societal Anger

The Haredi community has significantly increased its percentage of the nation's citizens over the since the state's founding, and now accounts for a sizable minority. A policy that originated as an exception for a small number of Torah scholars evolved into, by the start of the recent conflict, a cohort of tens of thousands of men not subject to the conscription.

Polling data suggest approval of ultra-Orthodox conscription is increasing. A poll in July revealed that a large majority of the broader Jewish public - including a significant majority in Netanyahu's own right-wing Likud party - supported consequences for those who refused a draft order, with a clear majority in approving cutting state subsidies, travel documents, or the electoral participation.

"It seems to me there are citizens who live in this country without serving," one serviceman in Tel Aviv commented.

"In my view, no matter how devout, [it] should be an reason not to perform service your state," stated a young woman. "As a citizen by birth, I find it somewhat unreasonable that you want to opt out just to study Torah all day."

Views from Within the Community

Support for extending the draft is also found among observant Jews outside the ultra-Orthodox sector, like Dorit Barak, who lives near the yeshiva and notes religious Zionists who do enlist in the army while also maintaining their faith.

"It makes me angry that ultra-Orthodox people don't enlist," she said. "This creates inequality. I too follow the Jewish law, but there's a proverb in Hebrew - 'The Book and the Sword' – it means the Torah and the guns together. That's the way forward, until the arrival of peace."

Ms Barak maintains a small memorial in the neighborhood to local soldiers, both observant and non-observant, who were lost in conflict. Lines of images {