Israeli Knesset Approves Preliminary Reading of Bill to Ban the Adhan

SadaNews Translation - The Israeli Knesset approved on Wednesday evening a bill to ban the Adhan in mosques, in a preliminary reading.

The bill was presented by the extremist Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, and the head of the National Security Committee from his party, Tzvika Fogal. This was also reported by Channel 14 in Hebrew, and translated by SadaNews.

Fifty Knesset members supported the bill, while thirty-six opposed it.

The Shas party, which had threatened not to support the law due to the crisis related to mandatory conscription for Haredim and the basic law on Torah study, voted in favor of it. The opposition party Yisrael Beiteinu also supported the bill.

The law stipulates that no sound system may be installed or operated in any mosque without a license, and the granting of the license will be considered based on the intensity of "noise" and the measures taken to limit it, the location of the mosque, its proximity to residential areas, and the impact of noise on the population, as stated in the law, and translated by SadaNews.

In case of violation of the rules, police officers may demand an immediate halt, and if the violation continues, public loudspeakers will be confiscated. Fines will be established under the law, such that operating or installing a public address system without a permit will be penalized with a fine of 50,000 shekels, and the fine for operating it in violation of the permit conditions will be 10,000 shekels.