Knesset advanced a bill to restrict Adhan over loudspeakers
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- The proposal would ban loudspeaker use between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
- The bill now moves to committee before three additional votes required for final approval.
The 'Israeli' Knesset approved a preliminary reading on Wednesday of a highly controversial draft law aimed at restricting the prayer Adhan via outdoor loudspeakers in populated residential areas.
According to 'Israeli' public broadcasting, the legislation voted on by lawmakers would strictly prohibit the use of external loudspeakers for religious broadcasting between the hours of 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM.
Following the preliminary vote, the text was forwarded to a parliamentary committee where it will be formatted ahead of three additional required legislative readings in the coming weeks.
The current iteration of the bill represents a heavily amended version of a previous legislative proposal. The earlier draft encountered stiff resistance from ultra-Orthodox Jewish political factions within the governing coalition.
Religious conservative lawmakers voiced concerns that a blanket ban on public amplification devices could inadvertently outlaw the traditional localized sirens blasted from Jewish synagogues to announce the entry and conclusion of the holy day of Shabbat.
By precisely restricting loudspeaker usage to the late-night and early-morning window, the revised bill bypasses any overlap with Shabbat announcements, which take place strictly around sunset.
Political motives
Legal analysts and opposition figures note that the proposed draft does not technically add new functional protections to 'Israel's' existing legal register.
A pre-existing environmental statute passed in 1992, known as the "Prevention of Noise Law," already explicitly regulates and prohibits loud public amplification systems during those exact nocturnal hours.
Consequently, critics argue that the revival of the specific "Mosque Ban" is primarily a symbolic, politically driven initiative designed to placate right-wing constituencies ahead of the upcoming electoral cycles, rather than a necessary public health or municipal measure.
