Ministerial Committee on Legislation will discuss this upcoming Sunday a bill that seeks to ban the use of public loudspeaker systems in houses of prayer, which may put an end to the raucous Muslim call to prayer sounded in the middle of the night.
Professor Mordechai Kremnitzer, Attroney Eli Becker and Dr. Amir Fuchs of the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) published a statement calling for the ministers to oppose the bill, claiming it is unnecessary as the current law already prohibits unreasonable levels of noise.
“There is no doubt that the proposal is only aimed at limiting the activities of mosques and not all prayer houses, because they are the only ones who use the kind of public loudspeaker systems described in the proposed bill,” said the statement.
The IDI said they are concerned that the bill not only intends to address noise issues but to specifically "incite" the Israeli public against mosque loudspeakers.
“The proposal does not aim to treat unreasonable noise, but to violate the freedom of religion. This proposed law can simulate division and encourage the destruction of Muslim communities. Therefore, the government should act with propriety and commit to the equality and protection of religious freedom and not let this bill enter into Israeli law,” said the IDI.