Israel’s far-right push to mute Islamic call to prayer
Palestinian citizens of Israel have condemned the move, saying it once again targets their identity and incites against their faith.
Israel's far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is backing a bill that would restrict the Islamic call to prayer, claiming it "disturbs" Jewish residents.
The proposed legislation, introduced by Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party, would effectively ban the call to prayer unless mosques receive state approval, based on volume levels, noise-reduction measures, location, and proximity to residential areas.
Palestinian citizens of Israel have condemned the move, saying it once again targets their identity and incites against their faith.
Under the draft law, police would be authorised to immediately shut down loudspeakers or confiscation of equipment later on.
The penalties are steep: Installing or operating loudspeakers without a permit would carry a fine of 50,000 shekels ($15,660), while breaching permit conditions would result in a 10,000-shekel ($3,100) fine.
A similar proposal to restrict the call to prayer passed in the Israeli parliament in 2017 but was never implemented.