The fire in Nataf was deemed arson. Remnants of Molotov cocktails were found. (Ehud Amiton/TPS)
It has been a very difficult and tumultuous few weeks in Israel. Two very hot-button issues, both somewhat underreported, are having strong repercussions: the “muezzin” bill and the “legalization” bill. Whether either of these have to do with the horrific outbreak of destructive fires across the country is anybody’s guess (so far).
The muezzin bill, TPS reported, proposes to ban loudspeakers for early morning calls to prayer. It was approved by a ministerial committee but met with severe criticism. It seems that President Rivlin himself doesn’t support the muezzin bill. On Tuesday he called a meeting of religious leaders from different faiths to promote dialogue, and to discuss the bill.
What makes the bill suspect to many is that it was proposed by the Jewish Home party, a strong supporter of settlers and settlements. Many critics — among them many Arab Israeli — feel the muezzin bill is about limiting Muslim Arab rights. Supporters of the bill say it is about noise disturbance in early morning hours.
The “legalization” bill is about retroactive legalization of illegal Jewish settlement/outposts in the West Bank. The context is two communities that have been deemed illegal by Israel’s Supreme Court, with orders for their demolition. The court ruled that the outposts were built on land privately owned by Palestinians. The evacuation orders and the bill have elicited strong opinion: The settlers are livid that they will be forced to move and Palestinians are angry that a legalization bill would essentially overturn a Supreme Court decision. Some Palestinians responded by building an “outpost” of their own.
Do either of these bills have anything to do with the fires? No one really knows. Someone suggested they were divine retribution for ordering the evacuation of two outposts. We’re not inclined to agree. Several suspects have been arrested for arson: Could it be that some of the fires were set by terrorists as retribution for these two bills? We don’t know, but it sounds a more possible than an act of G-d. And in one fire, in Nataf, remains of a Molotov cocktail were found.
These two bills are coming before Knesset next week: the muezzin bill on Monday, the legalization bill on Wednesday. Neither of these bills, if passed, will go far to reassure Arab Israelis or Palestinians that Israel is interested in those communities. Of course that doesn’t justify setting the country on fire — if it’s ever proved that that’s what happened.
