Even in the Israel Defence Forces, the Haredim are having an effect. An exclusive Haredi battalion has been created, to accommodate a growing number of ultra-Orthodox who want to serve.
In other battalions, religious Zionists have refused to ride in military vehicles driven by women. Their demands have reportedly been met.
With the demographic shift in favour of the Haredim only going up, those in the private sector, government and the military who decline to accommodate Haredi demands will become fewer and fewer.
And with growing numbers of Haredim in West Bank settlements, Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians takes on an increasingly religious fervour.
Prof. Ben Yehuda has no doubt that many of the country’s emigrants are leaving, in part, because of the rise of the Hardal. But it’s not the major reason, he says.
