Ramallah, July 01 (QNA) – Chairman of the Palestinian National Council (PNC) Rawhi Fattouh, warned on Wednesday that the Israeli Knesset’s approval in its first reading of a bill aimed at banning the call to prayer within the 1948 territories constitutes a legislative and racist crime.

In a statement, he stressed that the endorsement of this motion amounts to a blatant violation of freedom of worship and belief, and a direct assault on religious rights guaranteed under international law and human rights charters.

This legislation lays bare the true nature of the occupation as an apartheid regime that leverages its legal tools to impose religious and cultural oppression, the statement continued.

Fattouh further recalled that this approach is, obviously, an offense to Islamic holy sites, a legislative terror that intends to obliterate the Arab Palestinian identity and impair values of plurality and tolerance.

He emphasized that this bill represents a dangerous escalation that runs contrary to international law when it comes to civilian and political rights, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

That said, Fattouh called on the international community and the United Nations to act immediately to halt the racist policies, take Israel to task for its ongoing violations, and declare the occupation an apartheid and racial discrimination state.

The occupation’s Knesset has so far approved, in a preliminary reading by a majority of 50 votes to 36 opposing votes, the preliminary reading of a bill to ban the call to prayer. (QNA)