The bitter row over military service that could shape Israel's future
Israel is facing internal social unrest as the ultra-Orthodox Haredi community clashes with authorities over mandatory military service. This conflict is intensifying due to the ongoing wars in Gaza and the West Bank, exposing deep divisions regarding the community's exemption from service and government subsidies.
Why it matters
The demographic growth of the ultra-Orthodox population makes the resolution of this military service dispute essential for Israel's future social and political stability.
The bitter row over military service that could shape Israel's future
By Sebastian Usher Furious protesters are denouncing Israeli security forces as "Nazis" - but this is not a scene from a pro-Palestinian rally on the streets of London or Paris. This clash is in the heart of Israel, in which hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men in white shirts, black fedoras and long black frock coats face off against the military police.
The flashpoint is a building in the city of Modi'in, midway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where a young ultra-Orthodox Jewish (or Haredi) man lives. The police have come to arrest him after he failed to report for military service.
The clash in early October, seen by the BBC in a video, is one of many in recent months in which one of the deepest schisms in Israeli society has become ever more exposed.
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