The Israeli parliament is set to debate a bill that would ban mosques from using loudspeakers boardcasting the call to prayer. Having passed a legislative committee this week, the bill appears set to pass into law because it has the backing of Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition. Similar in tone to legislation targeting Muslim communities across Europe, the so-called muezzin bill is a striking indicator of what is too come in Israel.
Israeli settlers occupying Palestinian neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem have been complaining about “noise pollution” from mosque loudspeakers for several years. To date, serious discussion about banning the call to prayer, which will be the effect of this bill if passed into law, has been suppressed by politicians over concerns that such a move would undermine Israel’s efforts to brand itself as a bastion of religious tolerance and coexistence.
Bolstered by Donald Trump’s surprise election victory last week, Israeli leaders now appear confident to push through a basket of bills targeting Muslim and Arab citizens with no regard for the consequences. If the muezzin bill becomes law, the result will be shocking but hardly surprising. In fact, there could be a silver lining in this visible change of tactics by Tel Aviv.
Coupled with the move to legalise several Israeli settlements and outposts in the West Bank, Tel Aviv is ready to remove its liberal facade and reveal its true face of extremist nationalism and outright racism. While these moves will make life worse for Palestinians on the ground in the short term, they will aid international efforts to isolate Israel through boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns that have been steadily gaining momentum over the past decade.
Thus, the muezzin bill is akin to a spectacular own goal on Israel’s part. By appeasing its extremist settler population, Tel Aviv will render invisible any liberal pockets left in society. Those who campaign to save the two-state solution and defend “liberal” Israeli values will be left with no leg to stand on and animosity towards Israeli behaviour will become more mainstream.
