ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Qais al-Khazali, leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), on Thursday slammed calls for normalization efforts, widely understood to mean normalizing ties with Israel, a day after controversial remarks made by a Christian patriarch. Khazali called for "legal accountability" and an investigation into the matter.

“Calls for normalization issued by any party or individual, including those presented under the guise of the 'Abrahamic faith,' elicit clear condemnation and profound astonishment,” the leader said in a statement.

Khazali argued that the calls undermine Iraqi law that criminalizes normalization “and contradict national principles and the will of the people.”

In May 2022, the Iraqi parliament passed a law to criminalize the normalization of ties with Israel with majority vote, with the penalties ranging up to life imprisonment or the death penalty.

The AAH chief added that statements made in favor of normalization necessitate “explicit legal accountability and the opening of a transparent and professional investigation.”

The remarks came following a controversial statement made by the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church Louis Raphael Sako, who expressed hope that the new Iraqi government will ensure normalization, during a Christmas celebration in Baghdad on Wednesday.

The patriarch’s media office later issued a clarifying statement, claiming “Patriarch Sako emphasized that everyone should normalize relations with Iraq and not with any other country, because Abraham was Iraqi, and Iraq is the land of religions and many prophets."

It further noted that countries turning towards Iraq “would encourage tourism.”

Influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also warned against inciting normalization with Israel, stating that anyone who advocates for it “is not immune from punishment," and adding that “there is no place for normalization or its legitimization in Iraq.”

Israel’s efforts to normalize ties with Arab nations across the Middle East and North Africa began with the Abraham Accords, signed in 2020 to formalize commercial and diplomatic ties between Israel and three Arab nations, which was part of a US-led initiative to promote long-term stability in the Middle East.

Under the accords, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Morocco, agreed to normalize ties, with other countries, including Saudi Arabia, engaging in indirect talks on the matter. However, Iraq has taken a firm stance against these efforts and maintained a staunch position in support of an independent Palestinian state.