A Sad End For Helen Thomas

In a way, it’s too bad (albeit deserved) what has happened to Helen Thomas. Her ground-breaking achievements as a pioneering female journalist all will fade in light of her fall from grace.

I wasn’t anxious to write about Helen Thomas, the living (sort of) legend of White House correspondents, who retired (was fired) this week for offhand remarks about Jews.

I remember an unpleasant time spent with Ms. Thomas at a UPI conference in Washington about 30 years ago when I was her luncheon companion. She wasn’t shy about parading opinions on just about everything, most of which I disagreed with. But good manners persuaded me not to be argumentive.

I had no idea she might be anti-Semitic. Dubious about Israel, maybe, but not anti-Semitic.

What got her fired . . . well, forcibly retired . . . at age 89 was her answer to a question posed by Rabbi David Nesenoff: “Any comments on Israel?”

Helen’s reply – “get the hell out of Palestine” – was a bit startling, but her suggestion that Israeli Jews should “go home” . . . to Poland and Germany is what got her fired. This was beyond criticism of Israel and crossed into anti-Semitism. Inferred in her remark (if not intentionally implied) was “go home” to Auschwitz and concentration camps for Israelis who “occupied” Palestinian land.

Reaction has not been sympathetic to Ms. Thomas. Apparently it was well-known that she is hostile to Israel, which is not necessarily anti-Semitic. I had no idea of that in our day-long get-together long ago, when she was still a reporter and a formidable While House correspondent.

Odd, because to my eyes then, she looked about 89. As a columnist for the Hearst newspapers for the past decade, she has maintained her front row seat at White House briefings but was not taken very seriously. She was treated courteously due to her age and longevity, but otherwise ignored or dismissed. She didn’t have much to add to enlightenment.

Helen Thomas’ remarks were taped two weeks ago at the White House's Jewish Heritage Celebration -- presumably an innocuous event that doesn’t usually erupt in fireworks. Ms Thomas’ advice to young journalists at the function was “never be unhappy . . .  keep people informed . . .  always keep learning.” Platitudes. Then came the zinger to Rabbi  Nesenoff’s innocent: “Any comments on Israel.”

The young people in attendance were treated to another aspect of journalism – the unexpected response that can have unexpected consequences.

I suspect there is some relief that Helen Thomas is finally retired. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs quickly called her remarks “offensive and reprehensible,” which set the tone for the reaction of others.

Although Ms Thomas apologized and said her remarks don’t reflect her “heartfelt belief” that peace hinges on “mutual respect and tolerance,” evidence is that her remarks are what she truly thinks. She even described as a “massacre,” the Israeli commando raid on a Turkish ship supposedly carrying aid to Gaza.

That overstatement assumes a more sinister connotation in light of her view that Jews should “get the hell out of Palestine” and go home to Poland and Germany.

Longtime friends are now deserting her.

In a way, it’s too bad (albeit deserved) what has happened to Helen Thomas. Her ground-breaking achievements as a pioneering female journalist covering the White House, being the first woman president of the White House Correspondents Association, her 50 years on the job covering 10 U.S. presidents, all will fade in light of her fall from grace. Deserved, maybe, but still rather sad.