This is hardly a joke. If the pro-zionist Hareidi parties (Agudath Israel, Degel ha-Torah and Shas) can convince the seculars (particularly Bayit Yehudi and Likud) to give up on the idea of mass conscription, the crisis will end. At worst the only penalty for anyone who refuses to serve will be to be treated like an Arab in terms of benefits (which isn’t all that bad). Based on the secular media, at this point Likud as well as many with Bayit Yehudi believe that with conscription most hareidim will end up (sooner or later) going to the army for a lengthy period of time, and will emerge as “normal” people who will likely vote for Likud or Bayit Yehudi. They thought they would get an extra brigade similar to the existing (volunteer) hareidi one, and a lot of new supporters (once they “see the light” and stop being hareidi. If the demonstrations fail to disabuse the Likud and Bayit Yehudi of these notions there will be a conflict that could destroy or at least disrupt the state (at best the hareidi ally with the Israeli left to stop conscription in return for a pull out from the West, at Bank, at worst, an alliance with the goyim to replace the zionist state with a non-zionist one that will recognize Hareidi autonomy and religious freedom in return for letting the Muslims run the government). The demonstration may be the last chance for the pro-zionist hareidim to end the crisis before those willing to embrace the anti-zionist (Eidah hareidis, Satmar, Neturei Karta, etc.) positions retake leadership of the hareidi community and pursue a path leading to confrontation.
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