The chairman of the National Security Committee, MK Zvika Foghel (Otzma Yehudit), is promoting a new bill to prevent unreasonable noise caused by the operation of the muezzin in mosques, in support of the enforcement policy led by the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The bill seeks to fundamentally change the manner of enforcement in this area, by establishing a blanket ban as a default and applying an individual licensing mechanism.
According to the wording of the bill, no public address system will be installed or operated in a mosque without obtaining a prior permit. The permit application will be examined according to a series of criteria, including the intensity of the noise, the existence of means to reduce it, the location of the mosque, its proximity to residential areas, and the impact of the noise on residents in the area. Violation of the rules will allow the police officer to demand an immediate cessation of the broadcast, and later even to confiscate the public address system if the violation continues.
The bill also includes significant fines: operating or setting up a public address system without a permit will result in a fine of NIS 50,000, while operating it in violation of the permit conditions will result in a fine of NIS 10,000. The fines will be transferred to a forfeiture fund, which will be used to finance public projects.
The explanatory notes to the bill state that noise is a health hazard, and that despite enforcement operations that have been carried out in the past, there is currently no law that provides sufficient tools to deal with the phenomenon. Therefore, a clear regulation is proposed that includes a ban by default, the granting of an express permit, the appointment of a person responsible for operating the system, and the imposition of significant sanctions.
Minister Ben Gvir stated that "in many places, the noise of the muezzin is unreasonable noise that harms the quality of life and the health of residents. This is a phenomenon that cannot be tolerated. The Israel Police will act decisively to enforce it, and the bill gives it the missing tools."
MK Foghel added, "The muezzin's call to prayer at abnormally high volumes is not a religious matter, it is a violation of public health and quality of life. It is impossible for residents to continue to suffer from systematic violations of the law. For this reason, I submitted the bill, to enable sharp, clear, and determined treatment of the phenomenon."