Khaberni - The Israeli Knesset approved, this evening, Wednesday, in a preliminary reading of the "Muezzin Law" project, which prohibits the broadcasting of the adhan through loudspeakers in Jerusalem and within the Green Line, while the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) considered the project an escalation of the "religious war" waged by Israel against Islamic sanctities and identity.
The "Israel Hayom" newspaper stated: "The Knesset approved in a preliminary reading the muezzin law project to tighten law enforcement" against what it claimed to be "mosque noise," without further details.
"Yedioth Ahronoth" newspaper clarified that the bill was voted in favor by 50 out of 120 Knesset members, against 36 opponents.
It added that the opposition party "Israel Our Home," led by Avigdor Lieberman, voted in favor of the bill proposed by the "Otzma Yehudit" (Jewish Power) party, led by the extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
In order for the bill to become law, it must be approved in three additional readings, according to Israeli law.
The bill stipulates that no audio system may be installed or operated in any mosque without obtaining a prior explicit license, according to Channel 14 Israeli.
The channel claimed that "the licensing will be carefully studied based on the level of noise, technical measures taken to reduce it, the location of the mosque, its proximity to residential areas, and the impact of the noise on the neighbors."
The channel added: "The law grants the police unprecedented powers, where in case of rule violation, a policeman can demand an immediate cessation of the noise, and if the violation continues, he has the right to confiscate the mosque's sound system."
It continued: "The bill also stipulates severe financial penalties and deterrent measures, imposing a fine of 50,000 shekels (about 17,000 dollars) for installing or operating a loudspeaker system without a permit, while the fine amounts to 10,000 shekels (about 3,500 dollars) in case it is operated in violation of the terms of the granted permit."
Ben-Gvir "Adhan is Annoying Noise"
For his part, Ben Gvir welcomed the passing of the law in its preliminary reading and claimed that "in many places, the muezzin's call is considered an annoying noise that harms the quality of life and health of the residents. This phenomenon cannot be ignored."
He continued: "Under my tenure, for the first time, the Israeli police began to address this unbearable phenomenon, and now we are providing them with additional effective tools to eliminate it."
Minister of Environmental Protection Edith Silman from the Likud Party - led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – commented on the vote through her account on the X platform, saying: "The muezzin law, which was just approved in a preliminary reading in the Knesset General Assembly, will provide inspectors from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, in cooperation with the police, with powers to greatly enhance the enforcement of the law against high and unreasonable noise."
She claimed that this step "is extremely important for enforcing state sovereignty, and aims to restore peace to the lives of many citizens who have suffered from noise for many years. I thank Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir."
On December 29, 2025, Ben-Gvir's party proposed the "Muezzin Law" to the Knesset, before it was voted on Wednesday in the preliminary reading.
Amid widespread protests in Arab cities and towns in Israel, the Knesset approved in March 2017 in a preliminary reading a bill proposed by the far-right to ban the adhan during nighttime hours in Jerusalem mosques and Palestinian towns inside the Green Line, but it was ultimately not passed, according to the "Times of Israel" newspaper.
Legislative Terrorism
The chairman of the Palestinian National Council, Rouhi Fattouh, said today, Wednesday, that the Knesset's approval of the bill "represents a crime, legislative terrorism, and a blatant violation of the freedom of worship and beliefs."
He added, in a statement, "This legislation reveals the true nature of Israel as an apartheid regime," highlighting that the Knesset "employs its legal tools to impose religious and cultural persecution."
He confirmed that targeting the adhan "represents a serious escalation that is inconsistent with international civil and political rights law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
Fattouh called on the international community and the United Nations to take immediate action to stop these policies and hold Israel accountable for what he described as "ongoing violations."
He considered that these violations amount to "a system of separation and racial discrimination."
The Israeli authorities prevented the adhan from being broadcast in the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, in the southern West Bank, 74 times in May alone.
Religious War
The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas considered the bill that restricts the broadcasting of the adhan in mosques in Jerusalem and the Palestinian interior as a new escalation in what it described as the "religious war" waged by Israel against the Palestinian people and their Islamic sanctities.
The movement said in a statement today, Wednesday, that moving forward with legislation described as "racist" reflects an escalation in the Judaization approach and aims to impose new realities that affect the freedom of worship.
Hamas confirmed that the adhan will remain an integral part of the identity of Palestine and Jerusalem, considering that the Israeli measures will not succeed in erasing the religious and cultural landmarks or changing the identity of the land and its history.
The movement urged Palestinians, the Arab and Islamic worlds, alongside religious and human rights institutions, to intensify efforts and take action to support the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Islamic sanctities, strengthen the resilience of Palestinians in Jerusalem, and work to confront and expose Israeli violations of freedom of worship in international forums.
