Not only are Israel’s Arab MKs concerned about a bill aimed at stopping muezzin calls that are a public nuisance. Health Minister Yakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) also filed an appeal to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation to prevent a preliminary vote in the Knesset which will send the bill back to the government for review.
Litzman is not motivated by Muslim sensitivities, but concern that the bill might bring prevent Shabbat sirens from announcing the arrival of Shabbat.
In his appeal, Litzman explained, “For thousands of years, different instruments have been used including the shofar and trumpet. With the advancement of technology, loudspeakers are now used to announce the beginning of Shabbat while respecting the allowed volume and in accordance with the law. The bill in its current phrasing may harm the status quo, and so in accordance with governmental protocol, this appeal is hereby submitted for further review.”
In the meantime, the Arab MKs have denounced the law, claiming it is Israeli aggression against the native (sic) Arab dwellers, an attempt to eradicate the Palestinian identity and language, and a sign of chronic Islamophobia. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s office once again threatened to turn to the UN Security Council and other anti-Israel international organizations if the law passes.
Check out the call of this muezzin from the Old City of Yerushalayim:
