United Torah Judaism lawmakers boycotted the plenum vote on the muezzin bill Wednesday, according to a parliamentary report. The absence from the vote effectively delays the bill, which would restrict the volume of mosque call-to-prayer broadcasts. The coalition parties continue negotiations to secure the bill's passage in a future session.
United Torah Judaism (UTJ) lawmakers boycotted the Knesset plenum vote on the muezzin bill Wednesday evening, stalling the legislation's progress. The absence, confirmed minutes into the voting process, blocked the coalition from securing the 61-seat majority needed for passage. The bill would restrict the broadcast volume of the Muslim call to prayer (adhan) from mosques.
Earlier Wednesday, at 15:08 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Shas had announced it would support the bill while UTJ would abstain, based on a party statement and reporting by journalist Dafna Liel (N12). Liel's subsequent reports, all published at 15:08 Jerusalem, indicated that UTJ's abstention was intended to preserve a coalition deal with Arab MKs under which UTJ agreed not to support legislation harming Arab citizens. The current boycott goes further than abstention, representing a hardening of UTJ's position relative to its earlier stated plan. In the background, as The Zioneer reported earlier this week, the coalition has been struggling to secure attendance for votes on multiple bills, with UTJ previously boycotting Monday's session.
The current impasse echoes an earlier episode in June: The Zioneer reported at 11:23 Jerusalem on June 24 that the bill had been dropped from the Knesset agenda after a phone call between UTJ chairman Moshe Gafni and MK Ahmad Tibi (Hadash-Ta'al), who had opposed the bill as targeting Arab citizens. That removal came after initial reports of the bill's progression.
Negotiations within the coalition are ongoing. No date for a rescheduled vote has been announced, and it remains unclear whether UTJ's boycott reflects a temporary maneuver or a sustained blocking position.
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