The controversial mosque loudspeaker bill passed its preliminary reading in the Knesset on Wednesday, following a tempestuous session. Fifty-five MKs supported the so-called "muezzin bill," while 48 MKs voted against it. The high-profile bill, which aims to ban public places of worship from using loudspeakers for calls to prayer, includes two drafts, both of which will now be reviewed by the Knesset's Internal Affairs Committee. Ilatov and Forer's draft is the stricter of the two, and would ban the use of loudspeakers in mosques altogether. The second draft of the bill, co-sponsored by Habayit Hayehudi MK Moti Yogev and Coalition Chairman MK David Bitan (Likud), would bar the use of loudspeakers only between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Joint Arab List leader Ayman Odeh and MKs Osama Saadi and Masud Ghnaim heckled Ilatov, held up their copies of the bill and tore them up, while MK Jamal Zahalka faced off Forer. They then began chanting "Allahu akbar [God is great]" in the plenum, while Forer blasted them as "terrorists." Yogev, who was also constantly heckled by the Arab MKs, said, "This is first and foremost a social law that will allow people to rest at night. This is for all populations, Jews and Arabs alike. This law has no desire to harm the faithful. Allahu akbar -- on that much we agree." Tempers ran so high that acting Knesset speaker MK Yitzhak Vaknin (Shas), who presided over the vote, ordered Knesset ushers to remove MKs Odeh, Saadi and Ghnaim from the plenum. "I must say I'm surprised by these heated emotions," said Environmental Protection Minister Zeev Elkin, who presented the government's position on the bill to the Knesset. Elkin said the government supports the bill, as enforcement of noise pollution regulations outlined in the 1992 Prevention of Noise Law has proved ineffective. Zionist Union MK Zouheir Bahloul, who opposes the bill, described it as a "disgrace to this house." "This is a war between those who are enlightened and those who are not," he said. "This is a disgrace, a stain on this house; the mark of Cain on the house that time and again declares war against us [the Arab sector]. This is clearly a declaration of war against the Arab minority." Bahloul praised Likud MK Yehuda Glick for opposing the bill and partnering with him to find a solution that does not involve legislation. Bitan was said to have pressured Glick to be absent from the session, so he would not vote against the bill. MK Ahmad Tibi, who addressed the Knesset on behalf of the Joint Arab List, blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allowing work on the bill to continue. "The call of the muezzin has never been an environmental nuisance," he said. "This is an important Islamic religious ceremony. We have never interfered with any Jewish religious ceremony. This is a racist act -- you are interfering with something that is sacred to the Muslim soul. 'Allahu akbar' is a call to prayer, not a nuisance. It is part of the essence of our religion. I call on the religious MKs not to be a party to this." Tibi then tore his copy off the bill and was removed from the podium by Knesset ushers. Netanyahu issued a statement saying, "Israeli citizens -- Jews, Muslims and Christians alike -- have a right to sleep. We will continue with this legislation, just like many other countries worldwide." Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani criticized the bill as a "violation of the legal undertaking detailed in the peace agreement" between Israel and Jordan. "The peace agreement clearly states that Israel will respect Jordan's special role in [managing] Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem," he said.
Credit: Reuters
A heated argument erupted in the plenum as soon as Yisrael Beytenu MK Robert Ilatov, who co-sponsored one of the bill's drafts with fellow party member MK Oded Forer, introduced the legislation.
