GOVERNMENT

Sahar Karim al-Ta’i

Iraqi leader

Despite the perils of speaking out in Iraq in favor of peace with Israel, Sahar Karim al-Ta’I, a senior figure in the country’s Ministry of Culture, did just that in September 2021. Ta’l was among more than 300 leaders of Iraqi civil society who gathered in the Kurdish region for a conference that publicly backed peace with Israel. During her speech, she discussed the expulsion of Iraq’s Jews, the vast majority of whom fled to Israel amid rising persecution following the establishment of the Jewish state in 1948.

“They looked to Iraq, and are still looking to her, waiting for the eyes of their proverbial mother to show affection for her lost children,” she said. “They are still waiting for the moment when Israel is recognized by Iraq as their country and that of their brethren who share the country with them.” Following the conference, the Iraqi authorities issued arrest warrants for Ta’l and other participants, accusing them of having broken Iraqi law by advocating for peace with Israel. (Photo: screenshot)