A discussion by the Enforcement Authority raised the issue of demolishing illegal mosques - including nine mosques which were constructed illegally.
Despite professional opinions that the structures must be demolished, the head of the Enforcement Authority at the Lands Authority, Avi Cohen, prevented the orders from being carried out, claiming that they "are uninteresting to the public."
The Enforcement Authority claimed that the structure of the mosque is old, constructed prior to 2017, and that the new addition is not considered new construction, since it is attached to an older building.
Sources involved in the matters added, "In principle, these are instances of enforcement which supports normalization or a planned matter of the national infrastructure or another planning matter that contradicts the illegal construction. That is not this case."
A representative for National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir requested that clarifications be provided and that acts of enforcement be carried out against the illegal construction, similar to the acts of enforcement carried out against synagogues. "The law for a mosque is the same as the law f or a synagogue."
Ben Gvir fumed at the decision, questioning how advancing the demolition of synagogues in cities such as Bnei Brak can coexist with allowing illegal mosques to remain standing.
"This is an unthinkable policy," he said. "It is inconceivable that there should be such clear discrimination between all of the Jewish buildings and the buildings of Arab society."
Demanding immediate clarification, he stressed, "Enforcing the law must be clear and equal, without any favoritism."
During the meeting, the matter of the enforcement system's limited resources was also raised. Professional sources said that there is great importance in using logic during the process of demolition, especially for buildings which have a religious or community meaning.