Shafaq News – Najaf

On Friday, Patriotic Shiite Movement (PSM) leader Muqtada Al-Sadr warned against normalization with Israel and the spread of what he described as the “Abrahamic* religion” in Iraq.

In his weekly Friday sermon, Al-Sadr said normalization efforts pose a threat to the country, without naming specific actors.

The remarks come amid Iraq’s longstanding rejection of ties with Israel, where the issue remains highly sensitive. Baghdad's parliament has passed legislation in 2022 – pushed by Al-Sadr's party – banning any form of contact with Israel, imposing severe penalties, including life imprisonment or death, according to the text of the law.

* The term has been used by international political and religious figures to describe Muslim-Christian-Jewish initiatives associated with regional normalization efforts, following the US-mediated Abraham Accords signed in 2020 between Israel and several Arab states.