Israel hails anti-government protesters in Iraq

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz yesterday expressed his support for anti-government protests in Iraq; slammed Iran’s alleged intervention in the crackdown on demonstrators.

On Twitter, Katz wrote: “We sympathise with the Iraqi people’s protest for freedom & dignity. We condemn their repression and murder led by Qassem Suleimani & Iranian Revolutionary Guards.”

“The Iraqi people have a long & glorious history. Many Israelis from Iraq fondly remember years of living together.”

We sympathize with the Iraqi people's protest for freedom & dignity. We condemn their repression and murder led by Qassem Suleimani & Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The Iraqi people have a long & glorious history. Many Israelis from Iraq fondly remember years of living together

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) November 4, 2019

At least three people were shot dead when protesters attacked the Iranian consulate in the Iraqi holy city of Karbala on Sunday night.

The killing of the protestors comes amid an increasingly brutal official crackdown on demonstrations. At least 100 people had been killed by the end of last week.

The protests in Iraq have been ongoing for the past month, and are rooted in concerns over poor governance, official corruption and extremely high rates of unemployment and a lack of job opportunities.

READ: Iraq’s PM urges protesters to stop, says unrest is hurting the economy