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.

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