Notices sent out to haredi conclaves on Tuesday reported that representatives of the group intended to visit the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Jerusalem at 3 p.m. Tuesday to hand over the letter, which detailed the "crimes" they allege the government is perpetrating against them.

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The committee, which is linked to the extremist Jerusalem-based Edah Haredit sect, is claiming that their protest is a historic moment for the nations of the world to "stop forcing young people to join the annihilation army, which is a violation of three serious laws of the Jewish religion."

The haredi news site Kikar Hashabat quoted parts of the group's letter to the UN.

"We have lived in Jerusalem since the days of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, and since then have lived in peace with our Arab neighbors. [We are] seeking the urgent intervention of the United Nations against the Israeli government for gross violations of international law, and actions that go against the same foundations that the Israelis claim their country and legal system are based on," the letter reads.

"We are persecuted daily," the group claimed.

"We ask the UN General Assembly/or the UN Human Rights Department [sic] to inform the Israeli government that it is carrying out illegal actions as part of its desire to re-educate the sons of the haredi minority.

"In addition, we would like to inform them that they must refrain from such actions in the future and that they must allow a minority the right … not to be called 'criminals' just because they wish to uphold their religious principles," the letter adds.

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Speaking to host Aryeh Golan, Akunis said that the Likud party under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not lend a hand to turning Israel into a state governed by Jewish law.

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"If there is a need, we will carry out [infrastructure] work on the Sabbath. There will be work on Shabbat to avoid inconveniencing the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians who need to use the trains. This is not a violation of the status quo," Akunis said.

Turning to a controversial bill that would make conscription of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students mandatory, Akunis said, "We absolutely intend to see more and more haredim enlisting in the IDF – and incidentally, that's already happening. The Likud, including myself, see IDF service as a most important value. We are in a dispute with the haredim about it, true, but we'll continue to integrate them [haredim], and eventually, in my opinion, it will benefit them. I'm in favor of full service for everyone."

Akunis said that even if Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman repeated his "lie" about a "state run by Jewish law" every time he discussed the September Knesset election, "it still wouldn't make it true."

"Israel under the Likud headed by Netanyahu – and not only under Netanyahu – has always been a Jewish, democratic state. Not a state run by Jewish law. That's how it will continue to be," Akunis said.

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