Posted by CODEPINK Staff

At a selectively advertised Middle East meeting Brad Sherman held at Temple Ramat Zion, July 7, he repeated his call for the arrest of all American citizens aboard the Humanitarian Aid Flotilla to Gaza and to prosecute them under anti-terrorist laws. Hundreds of members of the synagogue were in attendance and gave overwhelming approval. At the same meeting Sherman called for the removal of tax-exempt status (given to charities) of Viva Palestina and denounced George Galloway. He implicitly called for suppression of criticism of Israel on university campuses, referring to it as anti-Semitism on campuses. He applauded the punishment of the Muslim Student Union at UC Irvine. Sherman offered his complete support if Israel launches an attack against Iran, and during the entire meeting an official from the Israeli government stood next to him and contributed answers to questions. Sherman explained that he passed up a chance to serve on the powerful Ways and Means Committee in order to continue is position on the Foreign Relations Committee so that he can help Israel. The handful of progressives in the audience who expressed criticisms of Israel or defense of the Flotilla were boo-ed and denounced by the audience and by Brad Sherman.