The Knesset has approved a bill that seeks to ban the broadcasting of the Muslim call to prayer (adhan) through loudspeakers, according to Israeli media.
Israel Hayom daily reported on Wednesday that the Knesset approved the bill in its preliminary reading to tighten law enforcement against what it described as “mosque noise.”
The bill passed with 50 votes in favour and 36 against in the 120-member parliament, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
Introduced by the Otzma Yehudit party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the bill was backed by the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party of right-wing politician Avigdor Lieberman.
Prior authorisation for sound system
Under Israeli law, the bill must pass three additional readings before becoming law.
Banning the adhan through loudspeakers would effectively strip it of its practical purpose, as it serves to notify Muslims of prayer times rather than functioning merely as a ritual recited inside mosques.
According to Israel’s Channel 14, the proposed legislation stipulates that no sound system may be installed or operated in any mosque without explicit prior authorisation.
Similar legislation was advanced in 2016 under then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with supporters arguing that amplified calls to prayer amounted to ‘unbearable noise’, particularly during early morning hours.
The proposal, often referred to by critics as the 'muezzin bill', was never enacted due to concerns that it could also affect Jewish Shabbat sirens.
