Israel’s far-right minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has banned the call for prayer, known as the ‘adhan’, claiming the sound from mosques would “disturb” Israelis.
Ben-Gvir said the policy was introduced alongside extremist minister Idit Silman, saying the call to prayer by mosques was an “unreasonable noise”, saying allowing the calls to continue was a sign of “lawlessness”.
In a post on X late on Saturday, Ben-Gvir said he was “proud” to introduce this policy to ban the Islamic call for prayer, which typically lasts around two minutes, saying it was a “hazard” for Israelis who reside near mosques.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the extremist minister had called on the police to enforce his directive by entering mosque compounds, confiscating speakers and issuing fines if they are used.
Leader of the United Arab List, Mansour Abbas, said Ben-Gvir was “trying to fan the flames and drag the Muslim Arab citizens into responding to his provocations”. ….more
