SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Israel on Friday condemned a legislation passed by the Iraqi parliament that criminalizes normalizing ties with Israel.
“This is a law that puts Iraq and the Iraqi people on the wrong side of history and disconnected from reality,” Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat said in a tweet, according to Times of Israel.
The Iraqi Council of Representatives voted on Thursday to approve “Criminalizing Normalization and Establishment of Relations with the Zionist Entity” resolution.
Iraq has never recognized the state of Israel since its establishment in 1948 and Iraqi citizens and companies cannot visit Israel, but the new law goes further, specifically criminalizing any attempts to normalize relations with Israel.
The law was proposed by influential Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr whose party, which opposes close ties with the United States and Israel, won more seats in parliament in elections last October.
Haiat said the recent developments in the Middle East and normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states, bringing stability and prosperity to the region’s people, are the future of the Middle East.
“The leaders who choose a path of hate and incitement hurt their own people first of all,” the diplomat said.
On Thursday, the U.S. State Department said it was “deeply concerned” by the Iraqi parliament’s passage of the legislation.
“In addition to jeopardizing freedom of expression and promoting an environment of antisemitism, this legislation stands in stark contrast to progress Iraq’s neighbors have made by building bridges and normalizing relations with Israel, creating new opportunities for people throughout the region,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement.
Iraq has historically supported the Palestinian cause and rejected normalizing ties with Israel.
