Reporter quits over Israel remark

stealth
By stealth

Veteran US White House reporter Helen Thomas has retired after making controversial remarks about Israel.

In an interview on 27 May, she said that Israelis should get "the hell out of Palestine" and suggested they went to Germany, Poland or the US.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said her comments were "offensive and reprehensible". She has since apologised.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10259646.stm

By Olive• 8 Jun 2010 10:00
Olive

88 or 89 cause Mandela is 92 and I know he's not that much younger than Mandela.

By hamadaCZ• 8 Jun 2010 09:58
hamadaCZ

I feel bad every time I hear or watch the news about Zimbabwe.The guy just won't die, I think he is already 80+ already.

By Olive• 8 Jun 2010 09:51
Olive

LOl, I've heard it to, and look at Zimbabwe, the only way to get them out of there was to kill them.

By hamadaCZ• 8 Jun 2010 09:50
hamadaCZ

hmmm I've heard the same about South Africa 30 years ago :)

By Olive• 8 Jun 2010 09:47
Rating: 4/5
Olive

The world is full of idiots, and you can't change history. You can't move the Europeans out of North America & you can't move the Jews out of Israel, what's done is done.

By hamadaCZ• 8 Jun 2010 09:45
hamadaCZ

The world is full of idiots then :)

to some the movie " The Passion of the Christ" was antisemtic, what shall we do ? change history ?

By Olive• 8 Jun 2010 09:42
Olive

Well then some people are idiots. Simple as that. What she said was stupid, but it wasn't anti-Semetic.

By hamadaCZ• 8 Jun 2010 09:39
hamadaCZ

perhaps to you, to others that was a clear antisemetic remark, someone bought her a ticket to the Washington holocaust museum already!!!

By Olive• 8 Jun 2010 09:32
Olive

There wasn't anything Anti-Semetic in what she said. She just didn't think her statements through.

By qatarisun• 8 Jun 2010 09:31
Rating: 4/5
qatarisun

John, i think Khawaga made a valid point. We don't know what was first: egg or chicken. You claim that most of current israelis descend from different linguistic and ethnic origins. But Khawaga might be right saying 'they did live there originally and were dispersed throughout the world, mingling with Yemenis, Ethiopians, Europeans', and I would add, with Iraqis, Syrians, Argentineans, Moroccans, etc., etc., etc...

Instead of trying to find out 'who was there first, and who first started the conflict', why they wouldn't just conclude a peace and wouldn't live without killing each other every other day?

it is known, there is no right and there is no wrong in any conflict. When husband and wife strat fighting, hell you would never find the beginning of this fight, coz each side has his/her own vision of the conflict and each side has his/her own "truth". But the things are there is NO truth! And IF both husband and wife want to stay alive they have at least to stop fighting before they killed each other. Simple as that.

By hamadaCZ• 8 Jun 2010 09:30
hamadaCZ

I think anti-Semitism is a red line , once crossed , all demons will chase you.

By Olive• 8 Jun 2010 09:14
Olive

Sounds to me like an 89 year old woman spoke without thinking and then realized she's too old to deal with the reaction to her statements. I'm sure if she said them 20 years ago she wouldn't have quit after a little backlash, but at 89...can't blame her.

By hamadaCZ• 8 Jun 2010 09:11
hamadaCZ

There is a book called "The protocols of the learned elders of Zion", some claim its an anti-Semitic book. Anyway its full of conspiracy theories, but very interesting.

By ehumann• 8 Jun 2010 09:11
ehumann

If you talk about DNA, we all came from one source, Adam and Eve. so we're all middle easterners!!! not unless you're a marcian, venusian, or maybe "SUNIAN"?#@$&%{♥^.... :)

By anonymous• 8 Jun 2010 09:10
anonymous

"When will the Christians realise Islam is not the enemy and Israel is not a friend."

By anonymous• 8 Jun 2010 09:08
anonymous

America fascinates me every day

By hamadaCZ• 8 Jun 2010 09:07
Rating: 4/5
hamadaCZ

Two different concepts, Jews and Zionists. Jews are the people who follow Judaism as a religion.The three major religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) originated from this part of the world.

Zionists follow a cocktail of ideologies. its all started with Herzl call for a land of Jews in his Der Judenstaat Publication.

By s_isale• 8 Jun 2010 09:00
s_isale

yes, criticise Israel you lose your job...

criticise Palestinians you get promoted faster...

By flor1212• 8 Jun 2010 08:22
Rating: 2/5
flor1212

and that cost her job! Right or wrong, there are still rules to be discreetly followed!

By s_isale• 8 Jun 2010 06:51
s_isale

the western press says it was a sad ending for her? Why? Because she told the truth?

By Khawaga• 8 Jun 2010 01:21
Khawaga

John: I'm probably going to regret this, but what if they did live there originally and were dispersed throughout the world, mingling with Yemenis, Ethiopians, Europeans, and so on? I don't really know anything about DNA. Is the point that they would still, after so many generations, have some DNA markers in common?

By Khawaga• 8 Jun 2010 00:53
Khawaga

alinux: I saw John's post. Perhaps I'm being daft on this one, but what does DNA have to do with a person's geographical origins?

By anonymous• 8 Jun 2010 00:50
Rating: 4/5
anonymous

@Kawaga read the threads above you will get the idea...the short version, an eastern European, or an Ethiopian with all respect to both have nothing to claim in Palestine..

By Khawaga• 8 Jun 2010 00:25
Khawaga

alinux: what does DNA have to do with the issue?

By anonymous• 8 Jun 2010 00:15
anonymous

its called "Cost for freedom of speech" in liberal and civilized world.

Although, its hypocrisy.

By anonymous• 7 Jun 2010 23:50
anonymous

nomerci, I highly doubt that the DNA of most Israelis can be traced back to the DNA strains that are found in the region here, they are jews allright but that does not mean they originated from palestine, having said that ...even if they did it does not give them the right to claim the land,...let's give the USA back to the red indians..!

By asif_khan• 7 Jun 2010 23:32
Rating: 4/5
asif_khan

her retirement after giving "real" remarks on israel was due to strong JEWISH LOBBY based in United states

By nomerci• 7 Jun 2010 22:58
nomerci

John ,true. When I speak of their origins, I mean "originally", before they were dispersed all over the planet.

By Khawaga• 7 Jun 2010 22:54
Khawaga

Agreed. It's sad to see her go.

By nomerci• 7 Jun 2010 22:51
nomerci

They don't want them either. Why do you think their new homeland was established where they originally came from?

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