Orthodox and the Army

This might be a little late, but I'd like to react to the ultra orthodox protest that happened in Jerusalem last week. For those of you who aren't aware, a law was passed very recently requiring the ultra orthodox to go to the army. Leading up to that Knesset meeting, the ultra orthodox staged a protest in Jerusalem, which wound up being peaceful, as opposed to violent like some of my more creative classmates began to imagine.
As a liberal Jew, I disagree with what they were protesting for. However, as a person with morals, I believe that every person is entitled to the right to protest. So, while I may think that they are wrong to avoid the draft like that, I do think that they had every right to protest as they did.
On the flip side, regarding why they were protesting, I think that in this culture, it is important for everyone to contribute. And as much as they think they are contributing by studying in yeshivot, they're really not. At least, not in a productive enough manner to justify thousands of them, practically a tenth of the population, not serving in the army or doing a sanctioned alternative. The law was designed a few hundred people, in a time when the crucial preservation of the Jewish religion needed some help. Now though, the Jewish religion isn't in any danger. There are hundreds of thousands of religious Jews all over the world. Not only that, but the ultra orthodox population has grown so much in relation to the rest of the Jewish Israeli population, that they are a huge chunk of the Israeli people. Them not going to the army will hurt Israel badly. Therefore, while I agree with their right to protest, I definitely do not agree with what they are aiming for.