Sebastian Gorka Name-Checks Jewish Friends At Jerusalem Post Conference

By Daniel J. Solomon May 8, 2017

Sebastian Gorka, the embattled White House aide, thanked his supporters by name at a weekend conference held by the Jerusalem Post.

“I’d like to thank everybody who has stood by me and this administration for the last 15 weeks,” said Gorka, who has been engulfed in scandal after the Forward reported on ties to Nazi-allied groups in his native Hungary.

“Specifically, and I apologize in advance if I’ve forgotten you, but the two Davids, Ira, Bruce, Jeff, Mort, Joel, Noah, you know who you are, okay, especially thank you to Rabbi Billet, who wrote this Friday an amazing piece,” he continued, calling out the names of Jewish supporters.

Who are they? For starters, Mort Klein, the leader of the Zionist Organization of America; Rabbi Heshie Billet, head of an Orthodox congregation on Long Island; Jeff Ballabon, a Republican attorney and party activist; David Goldman, a columnist for the right-wing PJ Media; David Reaboi, at the Center for Security Policy; and attorney and activist Bruce Abramson.

Gorka was said to be leaving the White House last week after the Forward’s reporting led to calls for his ouster, but he insists he’s staying.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

Daniel J. Solomon is the former Assistant to the Editor/News Writer at the Forward. Originally from Queens, he attended Harvard as an undergraduate, where he wrote his senior thesis on French-Jewish intellectual history. He is excited to have returned to New York after his time in Massachusetts. Daniel’s passions include folk music, cycling, and pointed argument.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO