In letter to Sadr, Cardinal Sako denies calling for normalization with Israel

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako on Saturday categorically denied claims that he had called for the normalization of ties with Israel, in a letter addressed to senior Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

The clarification followed remarks Sako made during a Christmas celebration in Baghdad on Wednesday, during which he used the term “normalization.”

“Mr. Prime Minister, there is talk about normalization, and I hope that the new government will ensure that normalization is in Iraq and with Iraq,” Sako said at the event. Shortly afterward, an audio clip circulated on Iraqi social media purportedly featuring Sako claiming that he had visited Israel and discussed Iraq’s situation with Israeli officials.

Sako told Rudaw over the weekend that the recording was fabricated using artificial intelligence and that his remarks had been deliberately taken out of context.

In his letter to Sadr, Sako said the controversy had “hurt” his feelings, stressing that his words had been misinterpreted.

“I would like here to affirm to Your Eminence and to all the Iraqi people that I did not refer at all to any kind of political normalization with the Zionist entity, as I fully realize the sensitivity and consequences of this matter,” he wrote.

He clarified that his intention - expressed in the presence of senior state figures including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and Shiite leader Ammar al-Hakim - was to draw international attention to Iraq as “the homeland of the prophets and the cradle of civilizations,” with the aim of revitalizing religious and archaeological tourism for the country’s benefit.

During the same Wednesday event, Prime Minister Sudani publicly responded to Sako’s remarks, saying, “In Iraq, we do not need normalization; rather, we need brotherhood, love, and coexistence. This is a moral, religious, constitutional, and legal commitment that governs our relationships. The term ‘normalization’ does not exist in the Iraqi lexicon, because it is linked to an occupying entity that stands against land and humanity, and which all heavenly religions reject.”

Without naming specific parties, Sako accused some actors of attempting to “falsify facts through fabricated leaks aimed at inflaming sedition and hatred.” He reaffirmed that the Chaldean Church and its clergy are loyal Iraqi citizens whose commitment is solely to Iraq and the decisions of the state.

Following Sako’s Wednesday remarks, Sadr and influential Shiite politician Qais al-Khazali, leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), warned against promoting normalization with Israel and called for legal accountability.

In 2022, the Iraqi parliament passed legislation criminalizing relations with Israel. The law bans “the establishment of diplomatic, political, military, economic, and cultural relations and any other form of relations with the invading Zionist entity.” Penalties range from temporary imprisonment to life imprisonment or the death penalty.

“We have devoted our lives to serving all Iraqis without exception, and we always work to entrench the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence,” Sako said in response to the controversy.

He also expressed sadness over statements discouraging Muslims from wishing Christians a Merry Christmas, saying such rhetoric undermines social harmony.

“Greetings are part of the etiquette of a diverse society and help strengthen relationships. Such discourse does not serve Islam,” he said.

At the conclusion of his letter, Sako called on Sadr to issue a statement to help de-escalate tensions.

“I hope from Your Eminence, stemming from your paternal concern for national unity, to issue a clarification that contributes to calming souls and preserving social cohesion under these delicate circumstances, and to deny the opportunity to those who seek to tamper with Iraq’s security,” he wrote.

The normalization of ties with Israel under the US-led Abraham Accords has been adopted by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, with Washington seeking to expand the initiative to other countries.

Iraq, however, remains a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, with some pro-Iran armed groups having targeted US and Israeli interests in the region over the issue.