IRAQI MP: 'IRAQ SHOULD ESTABLISH TIES WITH ISRAEL, WE SHARE INTERESTS'
In an interview with Kuwait's daily newspaper al-Rai from earlier this month, Iraqi MP and leader of the Ummah Party, Mithal al-Alusi, called on Iraq to establish ties with Israel and expressed hope to see an Iraqi embassy in Israel at some point in the near future.
The outspoken al-Alusi, who has previously visited Israel a number of times, referred to diplomatic relations with Israel as "our [Iraqi] interest," and added that he does not want Baghdad's interests to be solely to "Abu Mazen," the name by which Mahmoud Abbas is commonly referred to in the Arab World.
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There is more potential for Israel to do business with the Gulf countries than there has been for many years. Last week I visited the Gulf to meet with political leaders and high-level officials and I noticed a change in approach toward Israel. Israel and her neighbors now have mutual interest, particularly around technology, and common enemies in ISIS and Iran. Reports around Israel’s recent aid mission in Syria show that the potential for Israel to collaborate within the region is vast.
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Al-Alusi also lamented his own country's weakness not just in the face of the Islamic State but also in light of Iran's expanding influence in the region.
The dissident Iraqi parliamentarian warned that rather than being the most influential actor in the region, Iran has been amassing power because "it is the most insane actor, which gambles with the lives of its sons, its people and its history in order to [realize] the Iranian leaders' false vision."
A change is slowly beginning to happen in parts of the (Sunni) Arab world