Ben Gvir Vows to Silence Mosque Minarets: Israeli Legislative Moves Spark Widespread Palestinian Anger

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has once again stirred controversy and provocation after appearing in a video clip vowing to work towards silencing mosque minarets in the occupied Palestinian territories. The extremist minister claimed that the sounds of the Adhan (call to prayer) disturb him and prevent him from sleeping, affirming his determination to change this reality that has existed for decades.\n\nThese statements come in a heated political context, as the far-right government seeks to impose legal and on-the-ground restrictions on the religious and cultural manifestations of Palestinians. Observers considered Ben Gvir's remarks not merely a personal opinion, but a reflection of governmental trends aimed at curtailing freedom of worship under regulatory pretexts.\n\nOn the legislative front, the Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill proposed by Ben Gvir's "Jewish Power" party, which aims to regulate the use of loudspeakers in places of worship. The new law requires obtaining prior and complex licenses before broadcasting the Adhan via external loudspeakers, placing mosques at the mercy of security decisions.\n\nThe draft law includes strict punitive provisions, granting the Israeli police broad powers to raid mosques and immediately stop loudspeakers if they are deemed to "violate" standards. The law also allows for the confiscation of sound equipment and the imposition of hefty fines that could exceed $17,000 on the authorities responsible for the mosque.\n\nFor his part, the Imam of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, affirmed his absolute rejection of these measures, which he described as aggressive towards Islamic holy sites. Sabri stressed that the Adhan is an integral part of faith and Sharia, considering that whoever is bothered by the sound of truth should leave the land rather than try to change its identity.\n\nIn a related context, the Chief Justice of Palestine, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, described the Israeli moves as a "declaration of religious war" explicitly targeting the essence of Palestinian existence. Al-Habbash indicated that these desperate attempts fall within a systematic policy to uproot Palestinians from their land and erase their historical and religious connection to their holy sites.\n\nThe reactions were not limited to the official level but extended to ignite social media platforms, where thousands of Palestinians and Arabs expressed their overwhelming anger at Ben Gvir's statements. Activists considered these steps to accelerate the state of explosion in the region, emphasizing that tampering with the Adhan is a transgression of all red lines.\n\nAnalysts believe that the timing of this law reflects the far-right's desire to escalate religious confrontation to win over hardline electoral bases. Concerns are growing that the final approval of the law in the Knesset could lead to a new wave of protests and confrontations in Jerusalem and the occupied interior.\n\nPalestinian territories are witnessing a state of alert amid the continuation of policies targeting national and religious identity, as citizens view the Adhan as a symbol of steadfastness and survival. Popular events confirm that attempts to silence minarets will be met with widespread popular resistance that refuses to compromise on the most basic rights to practice religious rituals.\n\nIn conclusion, the draft law awaits final readings in the Israeli Knesset, amidst international and regional warnings of the repercussions of tampering with the status quo in the holy cities. Ben Gvir's statements remain fuel that ignites the fuse of tension in a region already suffering from continuous on-the-ground escalation and suffocating political pressures.\n\nThe Adhan is an Islamic law and worship, in which the occupation authority has no right to interfere, and whoever claims it bothers them should leave.