The so-called muezzin law, which would restrict the use of outdoor loudspeakers for calls to prayer, is scheduled for a Knesset plenum vote next week, according to a Channel 14 report. Journalist Avraham Hasson alleged that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is using the bill as a probe to expose whether a deal exists between MK Moshe Gafni (Degel HaTorah) and MK Ahmad Tibi (Hadash-Ta'al) in exchange for support on the military draft exemption law.
The Knesset is set to debate and vote on the muezzin bill — legislation that would prohibit the use of outdoor loudspeakers for Islamic calls to prayer — during its plenum session next week, according to a report from Channel 14 journalist Avraham Hasson.
Hasson alleged that the push to advance the bill is part of a political maneuver by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gavir (Otzma Yehudit). According to Hasson, Ben Gavir is trying to force a real-time test of whether a cross-coalition deal exists between MK Moshe Gafni (Degel HaTorah) and MK Ahmad Tibi (Hadash-Ta'al), under which Gafni's support for the Torah Study Basic Law would be secured in exchange for shelving the muezzin bill.
The allegation draws on a long-running political tension. As The Zioneer has reported, Gafni has been pushing the Torah Study Basic Law — a key Haredi legislative priority — and has sought support from across the coalition and opposition. Meanwhile, the muezzin bill has been a contentious piece of legislation that divides the coalition, with some parties opposing it out of concern for relations with Arab-Israeli lawmakers. The claim of a Gafni-Tibi deal remains unconfirmed; neither lawmaker has publicly commented. The Knesset schedule shows the muezzin bill advancing despite earlier delays, suggesting the political dynamics remain fluid.
- DevelopingMuezzin bill dropped from Knesset agenda after Gafni-Tibi phone call
- DevelopingBen Gvir clashes with Arab MKs in Knesset after muezzin bill passes preliminary vote
- DevelopingMK Waleed al-Hawashla confronts muezzin bill initiators in Knesset debate
- DevelopingHamas condemns Knesset's preliminary approval of muezzin bill
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