Helen Thomas Retires in the Wake of Uproar Over Comments about Jews, Israel

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: In The News

(Credit: AP)

Updated at 1:20 p.m. ET

Journalist Helen Thomas announced Monday she is retiring, ending her 50-year career as a White House correspondent in the wake of controversial comments she made about Israel.

Hearst News Service, which has employed Thomas as a columnist for the past 10 years, issued a statement announcing that her retirement is effective immediately.

Thomas has come under fire for saying that Israelis should "get the hell out of Palestine" and "go home" to Germany and Poland. Her remarks were captured on a video posted on the Internet last week, and Thomas was subsequently dropped by her speaking agency and excoriated by her colleagues and former White House officials.

Thomas started her career in journalism in 1943, according to her website, and began covering the White House in 1960. She will mark her 90th birthday on Aug. 4. Her long career has been celebrated in Washington; President Obama even surprised Thomas with cupcakes last year on her birthday, which is the same day as the president's.

A Sad Conclusion to a Great Career by Dean Reynolds
White House: Helen Thomas' Remarks "Offensive and Reprehensible"

While she ended her career as a hard news reporter a decade ago, Thomas has been reserved a special front-row seat in the White House press room. The Board of the White House Correspondents Association issued a statement today saying that, while she has not been a member of the WHCA for many years, Thomas' special status in the briefing room has helped solidify her as the "dean of the White House press corps." Consequently, the Board felt compelled the board to address Thomas' comments, calling them "indefensible."

"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," the statement said.

The WHCA does not issue White House press credentials, but it does have jurisdiction over seating, and the organization was prepared to review the issue of Thomas' front row seat.

Time columnist Joe Klein wrote that Thomas should be stripped of her privileged seat but should allowed to keep "her First Amendment right to be as obnoxious as she wants."

Others were less forgiving.

Former Bush Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said Friday that Hearst should fire Thomas, the Huffington Post reported.

"She should lose her job over this," Fleischer said. "As someone who is Jewish, and as someone who worked with her and used to like her, I find this appalling."

Former Clinton White House counsel Lanny Davis released a statement on Sunday calling Thomas an "anti-Semitic bigot."

On Friday, Thomas issued an apology for her comments on her website.

"I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians," Thomas said. "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."

Anti-Defamation League national director Abraham H. Foxman said in a statement that Thomas' apology did not go far enough. In addition, in light of her comments, a high school in Bethesda, Maryland canceled Thomas' scheduled appearance as commencement speaker.

The White House today called Thomas' comments "offensive and reprehensible."

Watch Robert Gibbs' Comments on Helen Thomas

Watch the video of Thomas' remarks below:

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by artistgal June 10, 2010 6:28 PM EDT: the definition of "semite" according to merriam webster is those peoples( hebrew or arab) that reside in southwester asia. now that being said, I think that the term anti-semite should be tossed out! and not used on the news because it implies against both arabs and jews...what helen thomas said is totally out of order, she is of lebonese decent, her parents americanized their surname when they moved her and raised their daughter to be american! does she believe that she should move back, put on a burka??? I think not,Not all jews are from poland and germany... she should re read her history, and see why the israelies were forced out of their mother land 2000 years ago!; Reply to this comment


by porcine_aviator June 9, 2010 12:33 PM EDT: There is nothing anti-semitic about her comments. Yes, they are controversial, yes they are pretty short-sighted and dumb, but they aren't anti-semitic.

The continued use of the "anti-semite" trump card is getting old.

Israel is not going to justify its own short-sighted, foolish policies by calling everyone who dissents an antisemite. Do you understand that ADL and AIPAC? The anti-semite label is becoming meaningless.

By the way, old Helen is a Semite herself...she's Lebanese. Ethnically speaking, there is little difference between her heritage and the Israelis...but facts never got in the way of the "anti-semite" game clowns.; Reply to this comment

by reflections3 June 9, 2010 12:28 PM EDT

Let me see, she says "'They' should get out of Israel" to "Germany or Poland" or "whereever they came from." I'm not sure how you get around the reference to "they," but I think sadder yet is the clever masking of anti-semitism. In the old days, people would unapologetically demonize groups; here, it's demomizing a nation's unique citizentry which a step removed and defended by seemingly objective observations of behaviors of the ilk "Slow News" spews.

Reply to this comment


by porcine_aviator June 9, 2010 12:44 PM EDT: Her point is that the Ashkenzim jews who make up 99% of the far-right (Likud) and settler movements ARE from Poland, Germany, and Brooklyn by birth...they are not native Israelis.

Israel DID occupy the land in 1948. Yes, they had good reason to leave Germany, Ukraine, Poland, etc. But two wrongs don't make a right. Predictably, the local gentry didn't take too kindly to having their land stolen, especially by Jews (who, truth be told, they descriminate against).

The ONLY reason we tend to side with Israel is that the folks that had their land stolen away are Muslim. Granted, the Muslims in that part of the world have a pretty backwards, violent worldview. But, theft is theft. Israel hopes that someday the Palestinian people will just accept their lot, but that's never going to happen.

So as a result, the next 10 generations will watch as two groups of extremists duke it out in an ever more dangerous region in a game of escalating stakes and consequences. Despite what the ADL would like us to think, neither side has much of a moral high ground, and we as Americans only lose when we get involved to enable a welfare state nation in playing cat-and-mouse with the every more angry and armed muslims.


by bobnjersey June 9, 2010 12:16 PM EDT: ["I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians," Thomas said. "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." ]

it's for this reason that she made her comments. everyone knows that this is never going to happen ... the only question is why ... and as such ... back to her comments.; Reply to this comment


by bankersvox June 9, 2010 11:15 AM EDT: The very nature of her questions, leave no doubt about her witch anti Semitism.

Why did the White House tolerate this awful person for so long ?; Reply to this comment


by tfillmor June 9, 2010 11:12 AM EDT: C'mon, people, these comments are really hate-filled.; Reply to this comment


by Rodeo_Joe June 9, 2010 8:51 AM EDT: Gazer even in the days of Solomon was still inhabited by Canaanites (1 Kings 9:16).; Reply to this comment

by dez1962 June 8, 2010 8:11 PM EDT

I am from England and not Jewish, but this comments board is a real cesspit of ignorant anti-semitism

On topic, what about all the Jews from Arab countries that had to flee for their lives in the 40s/50s, should they go back to almost certain persecution

Reply to this comment


by Turbidite June 9, 2010 9:43 AM EDT: They didn't flee in the 40s, and those that left in the 50s and 60s left under the strong encouragement of the Israeli authorities (aliyeh). Talk to the former Jewish residents from Arab lands and you might realize how uneducated your comments are. Sitting at home and reading press releases is not keeping informed. The "flee" stories are largely Israeli propaganda.


by dez1962 June 9, 2010 7:17 PM EDT: Hmm, Turibidite, you call me uneducated while spouting total drivel, mind your not alone in this in these comments.

If you educated yourself, you will read about pogroms against Jews in Arab lands in 30s and 40s, which might explain why they were so willing to go to Israel


by ZorotheWonderGod June 8, 2010 5:58 PM EDT: I think that the Israeli state is controlled by a narrow elite that is persecuting Palestinians who themselves are aligned with Hamas which like Israel has a brutal element to it. I think that there are many losers. I think that terrible incidents like this bring out anti-Semites out of their closets. They should rather stay there in my opinion. Don't ask, don't tell, should be the policy for these people. The US educational system needs to be reformed to rehabilitate these people and education the masses about war and militarism and their dangers.; Reply to this comment

by Wilfred1933 June 8, 2010 5:15 PM EDT

Right on Helen! The worlds professional victims control American policy and Obama is just going along with it. All the crap about him being a secret Muslim is just that,Crap. Just look at his appointees. Exlrod ran his campaign, Rahm Emanuel appointed Chief of Staff and Kagan for the Supreme Court.
He is totally controlled by Israel.

Reply to this comment


by ZorotheWonderGod June 8, 2010 5:33 PM EDT: The author should study the use of possessives, i.e. "the world's" and not "the worlds." The idea that appointing Jews means that you are controlled by Israel is rather naive. Is the United States controlled by Africa because Obama's father was born there? Or, is the United States half controlled by Africa? If the U.S. were controlled by Israel, the U.S. would have far more Jewish holidays celebrated. It is very hard to purchase Matzah in Lincoln, Nebraska. "Exlrod" is not the spelling of the person in question. This individual attended Stuyvesant High School. That high school is running America, not Israel!