National Security Minister defends decision to confiscate speakers from mosques which violate noise laws with night-time call to prayer in mixed cities.
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News
Israeli police have begun cracking down on illegal muezzin calls to prayer by mosques in mixed cities across Israel, enforcing noise laws against mosques which violate laws limiting the use of speakers at night.
For decades, Israeli mosques across the country have flouted noise restriction laws, which bar noise pollution between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
The use of speaker systems in mixed cities, or by mosques in villages against to Jewish communities, has sparked ongoing complaints, in particular with regard to the night-time and early morning calls to prayer.
While multiple efforts to pass legislation banning the use of speakers in houses have worship have failed, in part to due opposition from some ultra-Orthodox lawmakers, existing noise pollution laws enable police to confiscate speakers and public announcement systems used to violate the law.
Under the instructions of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit), Israeli police have been enforcing the law recently in a number of cities and towns, with officers in some instances confiscating mosque speakers.
“The law provides the option to confiscate the audio systems,” Ben-Gvir wrote to the police department in a letter publicized over the weekend.
“It’s an effective tool for deterrence. The moment we use this tool, it will echo across the [Arab] sector.”
“At the end of the day, we need to get results in the field.”
The minister is also working to promote legislation which would increase fines against mosques which repeatedly violate the noise pollution law.
Multiple Arab lawmakers, including Hadash-Ta’al chief Ayman Odeh and United Arab List (Ra’am) chairman Mansour Abbas, castigated the new directive, calling it a provocation.
MK Ahmad Tibi (Hadash-Ta’al), took to X to accuse Ben-Gvir of implementing the policy in order to “deepen the ongoing oppression of the Arab public.”
Ben-Gvir responded on X, defending his decision to enforce the law.
“I received dozens of inquiries from residents in the cities involved, who told me explicitly, you are saving us – keep going. I have no intention of blinking. I tell Ahmed Tibi, Ayman Odeh and Mansour Abbas not to threaten the State of Israel with violence. As they do in Europe, as they do in every reformed country in the world, as they do in Arab countries, we also need to address and enforce the issue of noise in mosques.”