CAIRO, February 14, 2017 (WAFA) – The League of Arab States Tuesday condemned the Israeli parliament’s approval of a new draft of a bill known as the “Muzzein bill,” which seeks to muffle Muslim call to prayer in East Jerusalem over noise pollution claims.
It said in a statement that the bill imposes a fait accompli on the ground using force and subsequently blocks chances of achieving a just peace in the region based on the two-state solution.
The bill would eventually ban mosques from using loudspeakers between 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. local time and impose a decimal-level throughout the day that is unclear yet.
The draft bill must be voted on at the Knesset in three readings in order to be signed into a law, which if approved, would apply to mosques in East Jerusalem and Israel.
The Arab League said in a statement that the approval is an invitation for the Knesset to turn the bill into a law, which would violate freedom to worship in Palestine in general and Jerusalem in specific.
It said Israel’s continuous approval of racist laws, and negligence of Muslims’ feelings exposes its real face and disregard of norms and international laws that guarantee the right to practice religion freely.
It held Israel responsible for the consequences of this bill and called on the international community, especially the United Nations, to take urgent actions to force Israel to comply with international resolutions.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the bill, the Israeli President Reuven Rivlin spoke against it saying that “existing regulations can find a solution to the noise pollution.”
More than 1.4 million Palestinians live in Israel, many of whom are Muslims.
K.T/M.H
