Police confiscated loudspeakers and sound amplification systems from a mosque in the town of Tel Sheva in the Negev over the past weekend.
The confiscation was carried out as part of a police enforcement operation, following repeated complaints from residents in the area about high noise levels coming from the mosque.
Police stated that an inspection found the volume from the mosque exceeded legal limits, and that the amplification equipment was disconnected and seized as part of law enforcement procedures.
Local residents expressed anger over the confiscation of the mosque’s sound equipment, claiming it constitutes a violation of freedom of worship.
The muezzin’s call to prayer is broadcast from mosque minarets five times a day, including before the dawn prayer that precedes sunrise. In some mosques, amplification systems are installed so that the call, which lasts several minutes, can be heard over long distances.
Section 2 of the Prevention of Nuisances Law (1961) states that “a person shall not cause loud or unreasonable noise, from any source, if it disturbs or may disturb a person nearby or passersby." The law applies to all sources of noise, including amplification systems and loudspeakers in mosques.