The ultra-Orthodox community is divided over the correct esteem in which soldiers fighting in Gaza should be held. Rabbi Bunim Schreiber has been criticized for comparing soldiers to garbage collectors, saying that their gratitude and hishtadlut should be the same. On the other hand, there has been a surge in haredi volunteer enlistment in the IDF, with more than 3,000 haredim signing up for volunteer service. This has raised questions about whether there is a wider shift in attitudes within the community. Some haredim believe that Torah learning is what sustains the people of Israel in the face of danger.
