The bitter row over military service that could shape Israel's future

What the report says

BBC World News reports that a long-running dispute over military service for Israel’s ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, community is intensifying again and could affect the country’s political future. The issue has flared in incidents such as an early-October confrontation in Modi'in, midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where police tried to arrest a young Haredi man who had not reported for duty and protesters clashed with security forces.

The article says the dispute has become more sensitive during Israel’s wars, including the ongoing conflict in Gaza, as many Israelis believe the burden of military service is being carried unfairly by the broader public while ultra-Orthodox men remain largely exempt. It also notes that the community relies on state support for religious study and that many Haredi leaders view full-time Torah learning as central to Jewish survival and to Israel’s spiritual protection.

BBC World News says the issue has become a major political test for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose coalitions have depended on ultra-Orthodox parties such as United Torah Judaism and Shas. With no clear majority likely in the election, those parties may again hold outsized influence over who governs. The Supreme Court ruled two years ago that the long-standing exemption was no longer valid, but enforcement remains contested, fueling protests and raising pressure for a broader settlement.

The row matters because it touches on conscription, religion, social equality and wartime manpower, while also highlighting a deeper divide over the role of Haredim in Israeli society.