Bill limiting the use of loudspeakers for calls to prayer passes first vote in the Knesset.

By World Israel News Staff

The Knesset on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would require mosques to obtain permits for loudspeaker systems used to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer, advancing legislation supporters say is aimed at reducing excessive noise near residential areas.

The bill passed its preliminary reading by a vote of 50-36. It must still clear committee review and three additional Knesset readings before becoming law.

The proposal, sponsored by Otzma Yehudit MK Zvika Fogel, would bar the installation or operation of mosque public-address systems without a permit.

It would also allow police to enter a site where a violation has been reported in order to stop the noise, and would impose administrative fines ranging from NIS 10,000 to NIS 50,000 for violations.

Muezzins traditionally issue the call to prayer five times a day, including before dawn. In modern practice, mosques often broadcast the call through loudspeakers mounted on minarets.

Fogel defended the legislation during the Knesset debate, saying it was a matter of law enforcement and public order rather than religion.

“This is not a political issue,” Fogel told the plenum.

“Just as the law is enforced against event halls, private businesses, factories and houses of worship of every kind, so too must it be enforced equally here,” he said.

Fogel also argued that excessive loudspeaker volume harms residents.

“It is unacceptable that residents continue to suffer systematic violations of the law,” he said.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir welcomed the vote and said the measure was needed after years of lax enforcement.

“For years and years, there has been lawlessness,” Ben-Gvir said. “Governance begins with noise.”

Supporters of the bill say it is intended to address “unreasonable noise” and that similar restrictions on mosque loudspeakers exist in some Muslim-majority countries. The bill’s explanatory notes argue that loudspeaker systems in mosques can be a major source of noise pollution and say the problem affects health and quality of life.

The legislation has drawn strong opposition from Arab lawmakers.

Hadash-Ta’al Chairman Ayman Odeh accused the government of focusing on mosque loudspeakers while failing to curb violent crime in Arab communities.

“Three murders within an hour… another day under this government of blood,” Odeh said, accusing Ben-Gvir of abandoning public security.

Hadash-Ta’al MK Ofer Cassif charged that the bill was motivated by hostility toward Muslims.

“The muezzin does not disturb their ears; it disturbs their racism,” Cassif wrote on X.

Cassif said the legislation was aimed at silencing “another people, another culture, another language, and another religion.”

Tel Aviv-Yafo Deputy Mayor Amir Bedran also criticized the bill, calling its advancement “a worrying and dangerous move that directly harms freedom of religion and the fabric of shared life in Israel.”

“This is legislation driven by racist motives that targets an entire public as being harmful,” Bedran said. “In Tel Aviv-Yafo, quality of life is measured by acceptance of the other and the different.”

The bill received backing from coalition factions, including Shas, and from opposition party Yisrael Beytenu. Previous attempts to restrict mosque loudspeakers, often referred to in Israeli politics as the “muezzin bill,” have stalled after sharp opposition.

A similar debate took place in 2017, when the Knesset gave preliminary approval to proposals limiting amplified calls to prayer during nighttime hours or in residential areas.

The current proposal goes beyond earlier versions by creating a permit system, setting fines and giving police authority to intervene when violations are reported.

The bill will now move to committee, where lawmakers can amend it before it returns to the plenum for further votes.

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National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir proposes comprehensive ban on use of loudspeakers at Israeli mosques for five daily calls to prayer.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition have introduced legislation to the Knesset which, if passed, would impose a sweeping ban on the use of loudspeakers to broadcast the five daily Muslim calls to prayer.

On Sunday, the Otzma Yehudit party announced that two faction members, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Knesset National Security Committee Chairman MK Zvika Fogel, are advancing legislation to significantly restrict the use of loudspeakers or public announcement equipment at Israeli mosques.

According to Islamic tradition, a muezzin is required to call local Muslims to prayer from each mosque’s minaret for the five daily prayer services, including the Fajr, or dawn prayer, and the Isha, or nighttime prayer.

The use of loudspeakers to broadcast the calls to prayer late at night and early in the morning have for decades drawn criticism from non-Muslim residents of mixed cities, including Jerusalem, Jaffa, and Haifa, and from residents of towns adjacent to Muslim communities.

While right-wing parties have for years attempted to pass bills limiting the use of loudspeakers at mosques, or fining mosques which violate existing noise pollution laws, ultra-Orthodox parties have repeatedly sided with Arab lawmakers, helping to vote down the proposals.

Under existing Israeli law, loud noises are prohibited from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., banning the use of public announcement systems to broadcast calls to prayer during those hours.

However, Israeli police have rarely enforced this law against mosques.

Police have sporadically cracked down on the nighttime use of loudspeakers at mosques since Ben-Gvir took office, though enforcement remains inconsistent.

The new bill proposed by Ben-Gvir and MK Fogel would bar the use of loudspeakers at houses of worship, prohibiting mosques from operating any such systems without a permit.

Under the proposal, permit applications would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to assess the impact of loudspeakers based on the house of worship’s location, ambient noise level, and the likely impact on residents of the surrounding area.

Furthermore, the bill would grant police wide-reaching authority to shut down the unauthorized use of loudspeakers at houses of worship and to confiscate the equipment without a court order.

Violators will face fines of 50,000 shekels ($15,660) for using loudspeakers at a house of worship without a permit, and 10,000 shekels ($3,130) for violating the conditions of a permit.

A dedicated enforcement mechanism will be established to ensure compliance with the new regulations.

The authors of the bill argued that the campaign against the use of loudspeakers for the muezzin call to prayer is not a religious issue, but a quality of life and public health matter.

“In many places, the noise of the muezzin is unreasonable noise that harms residents’ quality of life and health. This is a phenomenon that cannot be accepted. The Israel Police will act decisively to enforce the law, and this bill gives it the missing tools,” said Minister Ben-Gvir.

Fogel lamented the “excessive volumes” often used by mosque loudspeakers, calling it a “violation of public health and quality of life.”

“It is unacceptable for residents to continue suffering from systematic violations of the law. That is why I submitted this bill—to enable firm, clear, and determined handling of the phenomenon.”

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Noise-capturing cameras were set up one a year and a half year ago to identify and fine “drivers who honk for no apparent reason.”

By Pesach Benson, TPS

To combat noise pollution, Petah Tikva became the first Israeli municipality to begin installing sound sensors in parks on Monday as part of a pilot project to collect data and provide real-time alerts for excessive noise.

“As part of the municipality’s activities to maintain order in the public space and prevent noise pollution, this year the innovative system for enforcing noise on the road began operating in Petah Tikva – for the first time in the country,” said Petah Tikva Mayor Rami Greenberg.

The first sensors were placed in the city’s Neve Gan Park. More than 250,000 people live in Petah Tikva, east of Tel Aviv.

Dganit Tal, head of the municipality’s environment department, explained to The Press Service of Israel that the initiative builds on a pilot project to reduce excessive honking by motorists.

“We have several major roads inside the city, with traffic at any time of the day, with multi-story residential buildings on both sides. It is hard for the residents to have this amount of noise coming from the windows,” Tal told TPS-IL.

Noise-capturing cameras were set up one and a half years ago to identify and fine “drivers who honk for no apparent reason.”

Tal told TPS-IL, “Since the start of the project, some 1,400 drivers have been penalized. We don’t do this to get some extra money to the city budget, we want to educate the people, and we see it works.”

According to Tal, the number of tickets issued has dropped by 40 percent since the traffic pilot’s launch.

She explained that the sensors installed in the Neve Gan Park will send info to the municipal center.

“Once the system identifies large gatherings, especially of young people, a city patrol will be able to arrive at the place and warn against making too much noise even before this happens,” Tal said.

Noise pollution refers to excessive or disruptive sounds that negatively impact the health, well-being, or comfort of humans and wildlife. It is typically caused by human activities, such as traffic, industrial operations, construction, loud music, and machinery.

Prolonged exposure to noises 70 decibels or louder — such as a vacuum cleaner at close range — can harm hearing or health.

Noise pollution has been associated with hearing loss, stress, sleep disturbances, cardiovascular issues, and reduced productivity.

For wildlife, researchers have found it can disrupt communication, navigation and even breeding.

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