Israel’s J’lem Azan ban defies worship rights: Minister

Banning the Azan (the Muslim call to prayer) at mosques in Jerusalem is a blatant violation of the freedom of worship, according to Palestine’s religious affairs minister.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency about the decision by Israel’s Jerusalem Municipality to ban the Azan in the city on Monday, Youssef Ideis said the move was aimed at “silencing Jerusalem’s Muslim and Christian residents”.

On Sunday, the municipality declared that no Azan would be broadcast from the city’s mosques on Monday, when the Israeli authorities plan to formally celebrate the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Last December, U.S. President Donald Trump sparked international outrage when he unilaterally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and vowed to relocate Washington's embassy to the flashpoint city.

The U.S. administration subsequently announced its decision to relocate the embassy on May 14 (Monday) to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s establishment in 1948 -- an event Palestinians refer to as the “Nakba” or “The Catastrophe”.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the decades-long Middle East conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might one day serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.