Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman of California faced backlash Wednesday for leading a resolution expressing support for Israel's unprovoked and illegal assault on Iran, which risks plunging the region into a full-blown war as the Trump administration weighs military attacks of its own.
Sherman introduced the resolution Tuesday alongside Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and 14 cosponsors, including Democratic Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Shri Thanedar (D-MI).
The resolution praises Israel's attacks on Iran, characterizing them as "preemptive and proportional strikes" that "advance the vital United States national security interest in a nuclear-free Iran."
The measure also "mourns the 24 Israelis killed and 590 Israelis wounded" by Iran's retaliatory attacks, but does not mention the more than 580 Iranians killed during the first five days of Israel's assault.
In a scathing statement released Wednesday, National Iranian American Council (NIAC) Action condemned the Sherman-Tenney resolution as "absolutely reckless and repugnant" and argued that "no congressperson should be supportive of this one-sided resolution that provides U.S. endorsement of a destructive war of aggression that has undermined American interests, including U.S. diplomatic efforts on Iran's nuclear program."
NIAC Action refuted the resolution's claim that Israel's strikes have been narrowly targeted, noting that they "have leveled apartment buildings in Iran that have killed dozens of civilians, have led to car bombs in Tehran, and killed women and children—including some who have demonstrated against the Iranian government."
"This was not a 'preemptive strike,'" the group said. "Israel did not preempt any imminent threat, but did preempt another round of nuclear negotiations aimed at resolving the nuclear crisis peacefully."
"We urge lawmakers to call on the leads of this irresponsible resolution to retract it and instead debate the critical issue that matters—whether the U.S. is going to enter this reckless war of aggression, or whether it will play a productive role and help bring this war to an end," NIAC Action added.
Sherman's resolution in support of Israel's assault on Iran came amid bipartisan efforts in the House and Senate to prevent U.S. President Donald Trump from wading into the war without congressional approval.
Those efforts have gained the support of dozens of lawmakers in both chambers, but they are running up against an increasingly fierce lobbying push by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which—according to new reporting—has been pressuring Democratic lawmakers to publicly back Israel's war on Iran.
Drop Site and The American Prospectjointly reported Thursday that one lawmaker "relayed that a colleague had received literally 100 phone calls from members of AIPAC and its allied pressure groups" calling for a statement declaring that they "stand with Israel" in its war on Iran.
"According to a review of member statements at their congressional websites and on social media, 28 House Democrats have issued messages saying explicitly that they 'stand with Israel,' or some close variation thereof," the outlets reported. "Another 35 express unequivocal support for Israel without using the magic words 'stand with Israel' precisely, but they leave no doubt as to the member's support. And 16 others express 'soft' support for Israel, without quite the same inflammatory language."
The outlets noted that "three statements have been held up by AIPAC in particular, according to sources familiar with the situation, as models for others to follow. Those are from Reps. Greg Landsman (D-OH), Mike Levin (D-CA), and George Whitesides (D-CA). All are 'frontline' members who had relatively close elections in 2024."
Sherman, a co-chair of the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus, is another Democratic House member who issued a statement supporting Israel's strikes on Iran, claiming that "Iran was extremely close to several nuclear bombs"—an assertion contradicted by U.S. intelligence agencies and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Activist David Hogg, who briefly served as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, and others are calling for primary challenges against any Democrats who support war with Iran.
"Democrats must be united against Trump and his war," Hogg wrote on social media earlier this week. "We can't f–k this up."