A deal has been reached with chareidi lawmakers by which the Arabs will abstain for voting on the new draft law in exchange for chareidim opposing the Muezzin Law.

Kan News on Tuesday, 14 Shevat aired a report citing such a deal exists while both the Arab and chareidi MKs deny its existence. The bottom line will become evident when the votes take place in the Knesset plenum.

Such deals have been made in the past as Arabs and chareidim will cooperate with one another from time-to-time, when such a deal is mutually beneficial, which would be the case here. In fact, the chareidim have concerns regarding the Muezzin Law for if passed into law, while it would limit the volume of speakers from mosques, it might provide legal ground for residents to object to pre-Shabbos sirens, which has already occurred in some areas. On the other hand, preventing the new draft law from becoming a reality if far more important to the chareidi agenda than noise pollution from mosques.

This is entirely dependent on coalition member Yisrael Beitenu headed by Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman. He has signaled his party will not support the draft law and will vote against it, just as it did with the Shabbos Law recently passed, giving authority to the Interior Ministry to shut stores on Shabbos. If Lieberman’s party votes against it and the Arab MKs are not present for the vote, the coalition will be hard pressed to pass it into law.

The new draft law has components that are contrary to the agenda of the chareidi tzibur.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)