Extremist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday used penalties imposed on mosques to promote his election campaign, boasting about a fine issued to a mosque in the southern town of Tel Sheva.
The move comes amid intensifying competition among Israeli political parties ahead of elections scheduled for Oct. 27, with Arab parties accusing Ben-Gvir of exploiting measures against the Arab community in Israel for electoral purposes and to intimidate Arab voters.
On Sunday, Israeli police, who fall under Ben-Gvir's authority, raided Al-Rahma Mosque in the Abu Anza neighborhood of Tel Sheva and issued a fine over the alleged excessive volume of its loudspeakers.
Posting a photo of the mosque on Telegram on Monday, Ben-Gvir said police officers had arrived at the site, measured the noise level and issued a fine for causing "unacceptable noise."
"This is not limited to Tel Sheva," he said, adding that police were enforcing regulations on noise violations involving mosques across the country under a policy he introduced.
Ben-Gvir claimed the issue had been neglected for decades and said he had changed the policy since taking office.
"Although the situation is not yet perfect and there is still room for improvement, we are undoubtedly moving in the right direction," he added.
In recent weeks, Ben-Gvir has also highlighted the demolition of Arab homes in Israel as part of his election campaign.
On Sunday, the Joint Arab List, an alliance of three political parties, announced that it had filed an urgent petition with the head of Israel's Central Elections Committee against Ben-Gvir, his Jewish Power party, the police and Israeli land enforcement authorities.
The alliance said it sought to prevent the use of what it described as politically motivated demolitions and evictions in Arab communities for election campaigning.
According to the petition, Ben-Gvir published a video from the demolition of a residential building in the At-Tur neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem, appearing alongside bulldozers and police officers while boasting that government bulldozers never stop working.
The alliance also accused authorities of reviving eviction cases that had remained unenforced for more than two decades, with enforcement dates coinciding with election day.
It called for orders preventing Ben-Gvir and his party from using demolitions and evictions for campaign purposes and barring police and enforcement agencies from providing personnel and equipment for such activities.
"Ben-Gvir must be prevented from turning the demolition of Arab families' homes into election campaign material," the alliance said.
The Joint Arab List accused Ben-Gvir and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of seeking to carry out demolitions and evictions ahead of and during the elections to spread fear, discourage participation and suppress voting in Arab communities.
It urged Arab Israelis to participate in the Oct. 27 elections.
Arab citizens make up around 20% of Israel's population of more than 10 million and have long complained of discriminatory policies, particularly under Netanyahu's current government.
