Israel bans the call to prayer again: Is Tel Aviv escalating tensions?

By Tural Heybatov

Israel's National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has ordered the confiscation of loudspeakers and imposed fines on mosques broadcasting the call to prayer, or adhan, labeling it a "threat" to Israeli residents. In an interview with Channel 12, Ben-Gvir stated, "I am proud to advance a policy to stop the unwarranted noise from mosques and other sources, which has become a danger for Israel's residents."

Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List party, condemned the decision, accusing Ben-Gvir of sowing discord. "Ben-Gvir consistently seeks to undermine peaceful coexistence," Abbas was quoted as saying by the media.

Ben-Gvir is widely regarded as one of the most radical members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet. Israeli Muslims see his decision as a provocation. The policy grants police the authority to enter mosques and confiscate equipment, a move likely to spark resistance and escalate into clashes and violence.

Ben-Gvir's aversion to the adhan is not new. In 2013, before holding a prominent government post, he and a group of far-right activists staged a provocation by blasting the call to prayer in the Ramat Aviv area of Tel Aviv. The act, ostensibly intended to highlight the "suffering" of non-Muslim communities due to the adhan, was seen as an attempt to incite animosity toward Muslims.



Efforts to ban the broadcast of the adhan in Israel's Knesset date back to 2011, but the proposal was initially rejected despite Netanyahu's support. In 2014, the initiative resurfaced, framing the adhan as "noise pollution" disturbing the sleep of Israelis. The bill was introduced by Robert Ilatov of the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, backed by its leader, then-Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

In 2016, Netanyahu once again endorsed the bill, citing similar restrictions in European cities with Muslim populations. "Israel upholds freedom of religion, but it should not come at the expense of quality of life," Netanyahu argued. However, the bill faced unexpected opposition from ultra-Orthodox Jewish factions, who blocked its passage. Then-Health Minister Yaakov Litzman of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party warned that such measures could lead to reciprocal restrictions on Jewish religious practices, as Jewish communities also use loudspeakers to announce prayer times.

Despite the pushback, the bill was passed in 2017, with 55 Knesset members voting in favor and 48 against. The law prohibits the use of loudspeakers for the call to prayer between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM.
According to human rights organizations, Israeli authorities banned the adhan 634 times in 2020 at the revered Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, located in the occupied West Bank. These restrictions were primarily enforced on Friday evenings and remained in place throughout Saturday.

Given the already heightened tensions with Palestine, it is difficult to predict the repercussions of Israel's renewed restrictions on the adhan. However, this decision appears to lack foresight and contradicts Tel Aviv's historically pragmatic approach. Each such measure has intensified the divide between Muslims and Israelis, yet the government has persisted in its course of action. For example, in May 2022, Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque, disrupting the nighttime prayer call and demanding that the Israeli flag be raised and the national anthem sung to commemorate Memorial Day. Police also seized audio equipment during the raid.

Commenting on the incident, Sheikh Hatem al-Bakri, Minister of Religious Affairs and head of the Islamic Waqf, told reporters, "This can only be understood as an attempt by Israel to ignite a religious war, one they can start but not control."

It seems Sheikh Hatem al-Bakri’s warning was prescient.

News.Az