Steve Bannon Met By Protests At Jewish Congressman’s Fundraiser

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Activists with Bend the Arc Jewish Action protested Congressman Lee Zeldin’s fundraiser last night, which featured an appearance by former Trump advisor and Breitbart executive Steve Bannon.
Protesters rallied outside the office building where the fundraiser took place, some bearing placards that called Zeldin, who is Jewish, a “Bannon puppet.”
“As chief strategist to President Trump, Bannon helped develop policies, such as the Muslim Ban, which target and marginalize millions of people in the U.S.,” Bend the Arc Jewish Action organizer Kalya Glick said in a statement. “It is deeply disturbing that Rep. Zeldin would ally himself with someone so clearly hostile to our community and our values.”
According to a report on the protest in Newsday, Rabbi Jan Urbach addressed the crowd, connecting the protest to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. “As Jews around the world lit the first candle of Hanukkah, our ancient symbol of hope, truth and morality, to dispel the darkness of fear, intolerance and hated, that very same night, a bright light was lit in Alabama,” Urbach said. “Tonight, having failed to get Roy Moore elected in Alabama, Steve Bannon is here in New York to raise money for Lee Zeldin.”
Democrats are targeting Zeldin’s seat in the 2018 elections.
Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at [email protected] or on Twitter, @joshnathankazis.
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
