Protesters Rally Outside 'Secret' Bannon/Zeldin Fundraiser

A crowd of livid Jewish protesters rallied against Rep. Lee Zeldin's fundraiser in New York City Thursday, headlined by White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, the executive chairman of the right-wing Breitbart News Network site.

Speaking out on Friday, Bend the Arc Jewish Action organizer Kayla Glick voiced why so many were furious about an event protesters said had been organized in "secret."

“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. That’s why Bend the Arc Jewish Action coordinated protests and petitions that pushed for his removal from the administration. It is deeply disturbing that Rep. Zeldin would ally himself with someone so clearly hostile to our community and our values," she said.

On Monday, Bend the Arc members and other angry Zeldin constituents presented the congressman with a petition demanding he back out of the event, citing "Bannon's enabling of white supremacist, antisemitic, anti-Muslim, and other hateful elements."

Rep. Zeldin never responded to his constituents and proceeded with the fundraiser, those who delivered the petition said.

Zeldin took to Facebook Friday to speak out against the protesters.

"It's the holiday season and there are many people in this world who truly need to dig deep and find a way to put a little more love, positivity and tolerance in their heart," Zeldin wrote.

"It is ok to disagree with each other, but this is not how to do it. It's hard to imagine and quite rich that these are the people preaching 'Love Trumps Hate'. These are literally the least tolerant, hate filled people I've ever met, opposing me politically like this right now. I wish there weren't hundreds of other recent examples similar to these images, targeting me and sometimes including my family, but unfortunately there are. After you read this post, if you feel compelled to immediately lash out at me and others to back all of these people up, my best advice is to take a deep breath and don't. I would appreciate it, my family and the rest of us would appreciate it, and I sincerely hope that in the long run you will appreciate it as well."

Zeldin added, "That absolutely does not mean that you cannot debate the issues, disagree at times when necessary, be vocal and passionate, and make a real difference to improve our community and country."

Since hearing about Bannon's participation, local residents have been incensed.

Activists and residents have planned coordinated actions before the fundraiser, including the protest that took place Monday afternoon in front of Zeldin's Patchogue office, with more than 150 turning out in solidarity to speak out against the alliance.

The petition launched by Bend the Arc, in collaboration with several activist groups, has so far garnered 5,493 signatures.

"As a member of Trump's inner circle and executive chairman of Breitbart, Steve Bannon proudly foments hatred against immigrants, Muslims, people of color, women, the poor, and Jews. His platform and strategy empowered the white supremacists who violently took to the streets in Charlottesville," the petition reads.

"Now, no longer in the White House, Bannon is setting his sights on Congress with a plan to elect extremists who support Trump and a white supremacist agenda. By hosting Bannon, Congressman Zeldin is declaring that he wants to be part of that plan, too. . . That Bannon’s first fundraiser for a House Republican is for a Jewish Congressman is a shanda (disgrace).”

A media representative for Zeldin responded when asked for comment about the protest: ""Congressman Zeldin always welcomes substantive and productive dialogue from all of his constituents. Unfortunately, this is not that. It's rich that these and other individuals who signed a petition condemning bigotry and hate have spewed some of the most vile things I've ever heard. Congressman Zeldin does not subscribe to the extreme intolerance of these protesters."

But those who turned out strongly disagree.

According to New York First Congressional District resident Amy Turner: "Zeldin says he represents the needs of our diverse district, yet he is willing to align himself with Bannon's white supremacist agenda. We will not allow him to infect our district and the city of New York with his message of hate."

Rabbi Jan Uhrbach, rabbi of a congregation in Lee Zeldin's district, added: "I'm sickened that Zeldin is aligning himself with Bannon and the divisiveness and bigotry he fuels. During the high holiday season, I stood in the wind and rain outside Lee Zeldin's office alongside Jews and allies to blast the shofar. I said these words to Zeldin: 'You cannot include Nazis and White Supremacists as part of your coalition and not be complicit in their hate and violence. It's that simple.'"

Glick said: "Steve Bannon proudly provides a platform for a white nationalism that frequently demonizes people of color, Jews, and other minorities. It is deeply disturbing that Rep. Zeldin would ally himself with this enemy of our community and its values.

She added that, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, "Rep. Zeldin has a unique opportunity to represent Jewish values on the national stage. He is squandering it for short-term political gain. As his constituents, we will continue to hold him accountable for these failures of leadership and demand he choose a side against white nationalism and the radical policies of this administration."

Locally, Eileen Duffy, one of the organizers of the closed Facebook group, Let's Visit Lee Zeldin, offered her thoughts on the upcoming fundraiser.

"The membership of Let's Visit Lee Zeldin has, in no uncertain terms, reacted with horror to the news that Rep. Zeldin is using an unprincipled man, who publishes the ravings of white supremacists for political gain, to raise money. However, it's not surprising; both are supported and funded by cultural reactionaries and dark money specialists Robert and Rebekah Mercer. We do not want Steve Bannon to have anything to do with the governance of NY01."

Zeldin has defended Bannon in the past.

"Steve Bannon, especially what we've seen since last year's campaign, is getting a really bad rap, characterizing him as a racist," Zeldin said in August, according to a report in The Hill.

With Bannon taking on the GOP, declaring proverbial war on the establishment and apparently putting together a nationwide ticket, some have asked whether Bannon might have been an attempt to buy Zeldin's vote on the tax bill.

"That couldn't possibly be any further from the truth," Zeldin's media representative told Patch.

Speaking to Chris Cuomo on CNN Wednesday morning, Rep. Peter King, R-Massapequa, took aim at alt-right figurehead Bannon, saying he should be disavowed by the Republican Party.

In the wake of Roy Moore's loss in Alabama's senate race, King was speaking against Bannon, who supported the embattled candidate in Alabama. When asked about why he was going after Bannon, King lashed out.

"I was raising this not so much as a political issue, almost as a moral issue," King said. "This guy does not belong on the national stage. He looks like some disheveled drunk that wandered onto the political stage."

"I'm not a fan of Steve Bannon," King told Patch Friday. "Maybe Lee knows him better than I do."

Patch courtesy photo.