The charedim have brought this all on themselves and in the process have created one of the biggest chil hashems in history. There is absolutely no basis for not serving in the army. If learning is important they can learn before and after, and if they were truly interested in doing their part the army would have worked out a system where they could continue learning while they serve.
But it is obvious, and has always been obvious, that the chareidim just dont want to serve. Some of them are just scared, and some of them (especially the leadership) are afraid that once their population is our in the real world they will realize that they dont need to be charedi and that their roshei yeshiva have been wrong about some things.
Its a chillul hashem because secular israeli’s see charedim as parasites. This causes them to hate the torah and orthodox jews. Charedim should have approached the secular like chabad, with warmth and understanding and tried to be mekarev them, instead they just pushed them away by being selfish and worrying only about themselves.
They claim that they are protecting the state by learning, but you would have to be a delusional charedi to think that is an argument that would actually convince anyone that isnt charedi. Who did they think they were dealing with? They finally pushed things too far and everyone else is fed up and now they will get what they have brought upon themselves.