Israel bans Islamic call to prayer, escalating discrimination

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, has directed police to ban mosques from broadcasting the adhan, or Islamic call to prayer, claiming it "disturbs" Jewish residents.

He has instructed authorities to confiscate loudspeakers and fine mosques for broadcasting the brief call, which lasts about two minutes.

Ben Gvir defended the move as necessary to combat "unreasonable noise" and lawlessness.

In an interview with the Israeli media outlet, Channel 12, Ben Gvir said that he was “proud” to move forward with a policy of “stopping unreasonable noise from mosques and other sources that has become a hazard for Israel’s residents”.

“In our debates, it arose that most western countries, and even some Arab countries, limit the noise and have many laws on the matter. It’s only neglected in Israel,” Ben Gvir’s office said in a statement.

Read more: Israel bans Islamic call to prayer, escalating discrimination