Against the backdrop of today’s (Wednesday) debates over a proposed Basic Law on Torah study and coalition agreements, the Shas party announced it will vote in favor of the “Muezzin Bill” sponsored by the Jewish Power faction. The move comes amid escalating political clashes between Shas and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, following the defeat of his bill to ban Red Cross visits to terrorists earlier this week.
1+The tensions peaked after the ultra-Orthodox factions voted against Ben-Gvir’s bill on Monday, as part of their decision not to vote with the coalition until the Basic Law on Torah study advances. In an official statement, Shas claimed Ben-Gvir sabotaged his own bill: “Shas regrets that Minister Ben-Gvir did not bring the Red Cross bill today as well, and thus Shas would have supported it and brought it to approval.”
Shas officials claimed Ben-Gvir insisted on bringing the bill to a vote Monday despite their request to wait until today, and attacked: “It appears Ben-Gvir was driven by a goal to tank the bill in order to score points through clashes with his right-wing bloc partners.” Meanwhile, alongside the political confrontation, the “Muezzin Bill” will come up for debate today—a measure that has drawn fierce opposition from Arab factions. If passed, the bill would impose significant restrictions on broadcasting loud announcements, limit broadcast hours, and require special permits to operate public address systems in mosques.
1+Under the proposed law, permits would be evaluated based on criteria including noise levels, the mosque’s location, and its proximity to residential areas. The bill grants broad enforcement powers to police: an officer could demand immediate cessation of noise, and in cases of ongoing violations, police would have authority to confiscate the mosque’s public address systems.
Jewish Power said in a statement: “MK Zvika Fogel’s Muezzin Bill will come to a vote today in the Knesset plenum for first reading. According to the notice given to Minister Ben-Gvir, all coalition factions, the ultra-Orthodox parties, and even the Yisrael Beiteinu faction are expected to support the bill—and we welcome this. The law will provide significant enforcement tools to law enforcement authorities for enforcement against unreasonable noise from mosque muezzins, from which Israeli citizens have suffered for many years.”