Iraqi Shiite Activist Survives Assassination Attempts, Calls for Peace with Israel

Rait Al-Tamimi, an Iraqi Shiite activist who lived for years in Baghdad and met influential figures such as former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and associates of Hassan Nasrallah, has publicly called for normalization and peace with Israel. In a rare and controversial interview with N12 on July 29, 2026, Al-Tamimi condemned the violence of October 7 attacks and emphasized the historical trust between Iraqi Arabs and Jews, advocating for restoring citizenship to Iraqi Jews as per the Iraqi constitution.

Al-Tamimi recounted surviving five assassination attempts, including a recent car bombing near Iraqi intelligence headquarters in Baghdad. Despite ongoing threats and harsh criticism from figures like Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who labeled him a "traitor" and called for his death, Al-Tamimi refuses to be silenced. He argues that Israel’s current military struggles against multiple fronts, including some in Iraq, resemble Iraq’s own fight against terror and destruction over the past 50 years.

He expressed hope that peace between Iraq and Israel is achievable, citing the shared interests and historical connections between the peoples. Al-Tamimi criticized pro-Iranian militias operating in Iraq, including Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah cells, for escalating tensions and violence against Israel. He stressed that Iraq’s future should reject the "axis of evil" and embrace regional peace and pluralism, rather than continuing under Iran’s influence.

The controversy around Al-Tamimi intensified after his Israeli media appearances, with calls from al-Sadr for tribal rejection and death fatwas. Al-Tamimi insists that legal prosecution under Iraqi anti-normalization laws should replace calls for violence. He views his activism as a necessary response to threats and a personal commitment to changing Iraq’s trajectory toward coexistence and peace with Israel.