Former White House strategist Steve Bannon declares himself as proud 'Christian Zionist'

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has declared himself as a proud "Christian Zionist" during his speech at a pro-Israel event in New York on Sunday.

Bannon, the chair of the right-leaning media outlet Breitbart, received three standing ovations after delivering his speech at the Zionist Organization of America's (ZOA) annual awards gala.

In his speech, the former chief strategist called on America's Jewish community to work with him in his war on the Republican establishment, which he blames for blocking President Trump's agenda.

"There are so many games being played by the establishment ... You get double dealt all the time. That's how you get the Iran Deal. And that's how we still allow the American government to finance people that have blood on their hands of innocent Jewish civilians," Bannon said at the event, as reported by Breitbart News.

"It is time for us to act, and I believe the only way to act is not through moderation. I am not a moderate, I'm a fighter. And that's why I'm proud to stand with the state of Israel. That's why I'm proud to be a Christian Zionist," he continued.

He also touted Trump's record in supporting Israel and commended the president for calling together the "Arab and Muslim Summit" in May to talk about stopping the expansion of Iran, as well as strategies in blocking the efforts in financing radical Islamic terrorism in the West.

The former chief strategist noted that two of Trump's top priorities were moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which the president has yet to fulfill, and decertifying the agreement on Iran's nuclear program, which was accomplished last month.

Bannon's appearance at the event has drawn some concerns from many Jewish leaders due to his links to the alt-right movement. While he has described Breitbart as the "platform for the alt-right," he has disavowed white supremacists on a few occasions and has insisted that he is not a white nationalist.

The Jewish group known as IfNotNow, which opposes Israel's West Bank occupation, protested against Bannon's speech outside the event, which took place at the Grand Hyatt. The group also demonstrated against the event last year, when the former White House official was invited but did not attend, according to Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Apart from Bannon, the event was also attended by several current and former advisers to the Trump administration, including Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, former press secretary Sean Spicer and Sebastian Gorka, a former adviser to the president with ties to the Hungarian far-right.