In a neighborhood of Jerusalem, ultra-Orthodox Jewish residents cheered a soldier returning from military service.
At a religious seminary, similarly devout students gathered to hear an officer talk about his military duties.
The Hamas-led attack on Israel last October has prompted flashes of greater solidarity between sections of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish minority and the secular mainstream, as fears of a shared threat have accelerated the integration of some of Israel’s most insular citizens.
As Israel’s war in Gaza drags on and Israeli reservists are called to serve elongated or additional tours of duty, long-simmering divisions about military exemptions for the country’s most religious Jews are again at the center of a national debate.
Unusually high numbers have expressed support for or interest in military service, according to polling data and military statistics, even as the vast majority of Haredim still hope to retain their exemption.
Organizations:
Hamas, Jewish
Locations:
Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel, Israel’s