Israeli bill to restrict call to prayer passes preliminary parliament reading
An Israeli bill to restrict the adhan, the Muslim call to prayer, passed a preliminary reading in parliament on Wednesday.
Palestinians condemned the legislation as a "declaration of religious war" and an attack on freedom of worship.
The bill passed by 50 votes to 36 and must now be referred to a Knesset committee before returning for its first reading. It would then need to pass second and third readings before becoming law.
The legislation was introduced by Zvika Fogel, a lawmaker from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's party.
Under the proposal, mosques would be prohibited from installing or operating loudspeaker systems without a permit.
Permits would be granted according to criteria set by the Israeli authorities, including noise levels, sound-reduction measures, a mosque's location, its proximity to residential areas and its impact on nearby residents.
Read more: Israeli bill to restrict call to prayer passes preliminary parliament reading
A view of the Bosnian Mosque in Caesarea, Israel (Imago/Christian Offenberg via Reuters)