Israel is fond of its sobriquet as “the only democracy in the Middle East”.

Critics are quick to point out the many issues attached to a state which effectively controls the lives of 4.5 million neighbouring Palestinians.

Even closer to home, Israeli women from the ultra Orthodox Jewish community often find themselves without a voice in the political sphere, whatever the law may say.

No women currently represent Orthodox parties in the Knesset, or on any local municipality boards.

Israeli chief rabbi calls black people 'monkeys'

“There aren’t even reliable voting figures for Haredi (Orthodox) women because they rarely turn out to vote,” said Pnina Pfeuffer, a Haredi political activist and board member of the Yerushalmim municipal party.

“Haredi women are not downtrodden or oppressed stereotypes,” she told The Independent in a recent meeting in Jerusalem. “We work, often more than men do, and we enjoy our rights.

“But that I think makes us complacent enough not to demand more. When it comes to voting our voices are totally stifled. We are not involved in the public sphere at all.

“Many women who do vote just go along and vote for who their husbands tell them to vote for, strengthening the system that already exists.”

The ultra Orthodox community currently makes up about 10 per cent of Israel’s population, but with a birth rate double the national average, the community and its power are set to grow.

Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Show all 22 1 /22 Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of Difa-e-Pakistan Council a coalition of right wing Islamic parties, burn an effigy of US President Donald Trump, during a protest in Quetta, Pakistan EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli police scuffle with a Palestinian protester outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City Getty Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn pictures of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu following Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli forces disperse Palestinian protesters outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on 7 December 2017 AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organization, chant slogans as they burn Israeli and US flags during a protest against Donald Trump in Peshawar REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinians paint an 'X' over the face of a picture of US president Donald J. Trump which was painted on the Israeli separation wall in Bethlehem EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protestors burn the Israeli flag and a poster of US President Donald Trump in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of a Pakistani religious party rally against Donald Trump in Lahore AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn the US and Israeli flags in Gaza City AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital A poster depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is burnt during a protest against Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in the West Bank city of Ramallah REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Israeli forces detain a Palestinian protester during clashes that followed protests against US President Donald Trump recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Hebron AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters burn an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protesters shout slogans against Donald Trump EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital A Palestinian protester wears a Guy Fawkes mask used by the anonymous movement during clashes with Israeli troops in Hebron AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian demonstrators clash with Isralei troops during protests AFP/Getty Images Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Supporters of a Pakistani religious party chant anti-American slogans during a rally in Islamabad, Pakistan AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Pakistanis burn a representation of the U.S. flag during a protest rally in Hyderabad AP Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Young Palestinian women look on as smoke billows from burning tyres as fellow Palestinian demonstrators clash with Isralei troops AFP/Getty Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protesters burn a picture of U.S. President Donald Trump at a protest in Islamabad REUTERS Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Protestors shouts slogans against US President Donald Trump as they hold Palestinian and Turkish flags during a protest near the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Palestinian protestors put their feet over a picture of US president Donald Trump during a protest in the West Bank City of Nablus EPA Protests erupt after Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital Pakistani protesters burn tires at an anti-Donald Trump rally in Multan AP

As Israeli society has become increasingly polarised in recent years on both the political and religious spectrums, women’s groups have found themselves fighting for the female right to worship at the Western Wall, to keep images of their faces on posters and billboards in religious neighbourhoods, and even lobby for their right to use men-only bomb shelters.

Faced with increasingly entrenched conservatism, some Haredi women are becoming more and more vocal about “achieving a voice in the halls of power,” as Ms Pfeuffer puts it.

In 2012 activist group Nivcharot was formed to protest the exclusion of Haredi women from politics and public life. In the country’s 2015 election, feminist ultra Orthodox party Biz’chutan ran a list of four female candidates.

Ms Pfeuffer hopes to be the first ultra Orthodox women to be elected to the Jerusalem city council before 2019 – and last month, she helped to form the first ever Haredi women’s lobby in the Knesset.

“The ball is rolling now,” she said. “Too many women are aware what is at stake and what real representation means.”

“It’s a struggle, I won’t deny that,” said Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, Jerusalem’s first female deputy mayor, who was elected last year after reaching out to largely ignored voter groups including ultra-Orthodox women and the Ethiopian Jewish community.

“It is hard to stand as a woman and hard to challenge the dominant culture and way of doing things. But people like Pnina are breaking those barriers and leading the way.“

There is widespread dissatisfaction with the state of Israeli politics across the country: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with his wife Sara and several close associates, have been implicated in corruption scandals.

The Netanyahus deny all allegations of wrongdoing, but similar charges against Benjamin’s predecessor Ehud Olmert bought down his government after his coalition allies abandoned him.

Talk of an early election before November next year has largely faded. But endemic corruption issues and an increasingly polarised political spectrum – not to mention the stagnation of the Palestinian peace process – have left young voters in particular disillusioned.

Video shows moment Palestinian man is shot in the back during conflict at Israel border

Women politicians are ready to step in and breathe new life into politics, Stav Shafir, a Labour party Member of the Knesset and the youngest-ever female MK, told The Independent in Tel Aviv.

Ms Shafir, now serving her second term, rose to prominence as a leader of the 2011 social justice protests across the country She is now serving a second term, and campaigns on a platform of transparency in state budgets and fair access to housing.

“Israel’s left is reconnecting to the economic and social issues that matter to society,” she said.