US disturbed by Iraqi law criminalizing Israel ties
The State Department said the new Iraqi law promotes “an environment of antisemitism.”
The Biden administration says it is “deeply disturbed” by a new Iraqi law that criminalizes a range of “normalization” interactions with Israel.
On Thursday, 275 lawmakers of the 329-seat Iraqi parliament voted in favor of the law, titled “Criminalizing Normalization and Establishment of Relations with the Zionist Entity.”
The law criminalizes activities including traveling to or from Israel, visiting any of its embassies, participation in conferences linked to Israel and promoting Zionist ideas.
Violations of the law are punishable by life in prison or even death. The anti-normalization law expands on a 1969 law criminalizing communication with Israel.
