The issue of recruiting religious Jews into the Israeli army has come to the fore. Haredi opposition to joining the army is based on their strong sense of religious identity.
Ultra-Orthodox parties oppose pressure to cancel exemptions granted to yeshiva students from military service. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is struggling to maintain the cohesion of the government coalition and divide the burdens of war fairly among the segments of society. Opinion polls indicate that there is very broad popular support for abolishing the Haredim’s exemption from conscription.