Brody's Notes & Scribbles... Helen Thomas Retires After Controversial Israel Remarks

Helen Thomas   Photo by Brody Levesque

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) June 7 | She has been called the Dean of The White House Press Corps and has been a fixture for over 50 years in the press briefing room of the West Wing starting with President John F. Kennedy. She is best known to the public & colleagues alike for ending presidential press conferences with uttering the simple phrase, "Thank-You, Mr. President."

But it was Thomas's sharp tongue that ultimately got her into hot water in video-taped comments made to a reporter from the website RabbiLive.com in an impromptu interview during a gathering at the White House on May 27th, celebrating Jewish heritage. Her remarks came during a time of international outrage at Israel for its attack on a Turkish ship that left nine dead. Israel has rejected calls for an investigation of the incident. 

Thomas said that the Israelis should "get the hell out of Palestine," suggesting they go to Germany, Poland or the U.S. The videotape interview went viral and by last Friday both Thomas & her employer the Hearst Newspaper Corporation were apologising profusely:

"I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians," Thomas wrote Friday. "They do not reflect my heart-felt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance. May that day come soon."

The uproar continued over the weekend as the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham H. Foxman, said Sunday that Thomas' apology didn't go far enough. 

"Her suggestion that Israelis should go back to Poland and Germany is bigoted and shows a profound ignorance of history," Foxman said in a statement. "We believe Thomas needs to make a more forceful and sincere apology for the pain her remarks have caused."

Hearst Newspaper released a statement today that Helen Thomas announced Monday that "she is retiring, effective immediately." 

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday during his daily press briefing that Thomas, who was absent from the briefing, "should and has apologized."

In an article published today in The Hill, reporters Sam Youngman and Emily Goodin write that White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) President Ed Chen criticised her in a statement Monday, sent out before the news of her resignation:

"Helen Thomas' comments were indefensible and the White House Correspondents Association board firmly dissociates itself from them. Many in our profession who have known Helen for years were saddened by the comments, which were especially unfortunate in light of her role as a trail blazer on the White House beat," he said. "We want to emphasize that the role of the WHCA is to represent the White House press corps in its dealings with the White House on coverage-related issues. We do not police the speech of our members or colleagues. We are not involved at all in issuing White House credentials, that is the purview of the White House itself."

George Condon, White House correspondent for Congress Daily and president of the WHCA from 1993 through 1994, praised Thomas for a career of breaking barriers and asking hard questions of presidents.

"For 60 years, Helen Thomas fought for the right of the press to ask tough questions of government and for the right of women to be among those asking the questions," Condon said. "It is sad that Helen now is forced off the stage by an answer that she gave to someone else’s question. But even in this controversy, no one can take from her solid legacy of fighting the good fight to keep government accountable."

Thomas, who turns 90 in August, has covered the White House for five decades, and served as the first female president of the White House Correspondents' Association. The reaction of most reporters, friends and former White House officials was that while the end to Thomas's career is sad, it is hardly surprising.

"It really is sadness. She should have retired years ago," one longtime friend said. "But I don’t think anyone is surprised at the anti-Israeli remarks. She has never made any secret of her animus toward Israel. I just hate to see her remembered for this instead of the pioneering work she did." 

President Kennedy, White House Aide, & Helen Thomas
Photo Courtesy of the JFK Presidential Library