WEB DESK: Israel’s parliament has advanced a bill that seeks to ban the Muslim call to prayer (Azaan) over loudspeakers, a move that has drawn condemnation from Palestinian officials, who say it infringes on the right to freedom of worship.
the 120-member Knesset approved the proposed legislation in its preliminary reading on Wednesday by 50 votes to 36.
The bill was introduced by the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and was also backed by the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party headed by Avigdor Lieberman, .
The proposed legislation aims to tighten enforcement against what it describes as “mosque noise”. According to Israel’s Channel 14, it would require prior authorisation before any sound system could be installed or operated in a mosque.
If enacted, the measure would effectively prevent mosques from broadcasting the Azaan through loudspeakers, which are used to inform worshippers of prayer times.
Reacting to the development, Rawhi Fattouh, head of the Palestinian National Council, described the bill as a “crime” and “legislative terrorism”. In a statement, he said the move constituted a violation of freedom of worship and belief and accused Israel of targeting Islamic religious practices.
The legislation has cleared only its preliminary stage and must pass three further readings in the Knesset before it can become law. If approved, it would introduce new restrictions on the use of loudspeakers at mosques across Israel, marking another contentious step in Israeli-Palestinian relations.
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