NEWS JUNKIE POST
Jun 7, 2010 at 12:18 pmFacebook Fans Offer Support To White House Reporter Fired Over ‘Offensive’ Comments
An outpouring of support is reflected on the Facebook wall of Helen Thomas’ page. Thomas resigned or was dismissed from working as a reporter in the White House for a ‘controversial’ comment she made denouncing Zionism.
The 89-year-old journalist had been working at the White House since 1960 as a correspondent for United Press International and since 2000 for the Hearst Newspapers. But her seniority didn’t save her from the criticism she would receive after comments she made during an interview with RabbiLive.com. When Thomas was asked if she had any comments on Israel, this is what she said:
THOMAS: “Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine… Remember these people are occupied and it’s their land, not Germany and not Poland.”
Thomas later apologized for the comments.
Last August, President Obama gave a small cake to Thomas for her birthday in the White House’s press room. He led the pack of people signing, “Happy Birthday Dear Helen.”
But the memories of that birthday and her accomplishments didn’t provoke any forgiveness on the part of the Obama administration. On the announcement of her resignation/dismissal, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called her remarks, “offensive and reprehensible.”
The Hearst News Service reported that Thomas was ‘retiring’ effective immediately.
The Facebook Fans
Thomas has a few fan pages on Facebook, the biggest one has close to 3,000 people. On her wall these admirers expressed their gratitude for her service and some their frustration over what happened. Here are some of the comments:
“Helen, you’re a national treasure! Thank you for having the courage to ask the tough questions, I’m just sorry our officials never had the courage to answer them.”
“You only have Freedom of speech if you agree with the machine! Thank you Helen – - Please continue your brave approach to truth!”
“Good for you Helen. You’ve led a great career, don’t let this break you. You said what everyone should say or even wants to say but is afraid of the backlash. You were muscled out of your job because you did the unthinkable; criticized the Jews. If speaking the truth is all you are guilty of, if standing up for the… voiceless Palestinians is your crime? Then you have left a legacy to be proud of. Good luck, your presence will be missed.”
“Someday we’ll be able to criticize Israel without being labeled anti-semites.”
There were also comments left on her wall from people calling Thomas a “bigot.”
Thomas posted an apology on June 4 on her website:
“I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians. 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.”
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The fact that you put ‘Offensive’ in quotes, indicates that you are questioning that it is offensive to some. Guess what: They were offensive to some. Nice work, Dolores.
No, it was in quotes because it was a quotation. Thats how they work.
Quotes work both way, folks.
There are plenty of US politicians, dancing to AIPAC`s tune, suggesting that the Palestinians should move to other Arab countries even if they didn`t even come from there in the first place. They don`t have to resign, they get promoted or are presidential candidates (like Huckabee).
But lo and behold when you say something about the Jews. We all know what happens to freedom of speech then…
There are plenty of U.S. politicians and talking heads stating something similar about immigrants here in the U.S. “Send ‘em all back to Mexico!” Or insert a country of choice…
The cold hard reality is that the other arab nations do not want the palestinians. There are over 300,000 in camps in Lebanon for instance. The amount of bigotry + hatred in the middle east goes far beyond muslims vs jews.
Too bad after so long she ends on a crappy note. What ever she is old school too old. Time to go anyways
Who are you to decide when it’s time for someone to go? And was it really a crappy note regarding her, or more of a crappy note about the state of Zionism in the U.S.?
I can guarantee you if she made a remark denouncing Muslims and Islam she wouldn’t have been fired. I’m not a Muslim nor am I Jewish, I’m just so f**king frustrated with everything that going on in the middle east and the c**k sucking media who are biased beyond belief towards one side or the other. The sad truth here is that this fight will never, never end.
She should know the history of the Israel-Palestine conflicts before she talks.
Germany? Poland? Is it me or she truly wants a second holocaust?
She has NO idea, especially when “getting the hell out of Palestine” would be the biggest progress for the terror in the whole world.
Yes, this one is promised for sure.
It’s you, Sofia. Do you know your present, let alone history?
Fact: isreal did not exist before 1947
Fact: Isreali freedom fighters (terrorists) bombed the King David Hotel in an effort to get the British out.
Fact: Isreal is guilty of many war crimes over the years.
Fact: I am Jewish
Good job spelling-master.
Fact: Neither did Palestine. It was a British territory, and Israel did exist based on the bible that your, supposed, religion reveres.
Fact: They called prior to have it evacuated
Fact: The Israeli military goes far and beyond what is required of any military in preserving the lives of enemy combatants at a great risk to their own.
Fact: Self-hating Jews will follow the same fate as the Judenrat
Just answer my one question “if you were thrown out from your house and then you tried to enter back and you are called terrorist” can you also explain this fact please. If this is the way you said then i think all Christians should go to Rome (Vatican).
Fact: the United States did not exist before 1776. How does that imply anything? We should probably all go back to where we came from, and leave it for the Native American.
Go Helen Thomas; shows you the kind of two-faced system runs our country when free speech is punished. Israel is a vicious parasite utilizing Nazi tactics. Example; their going to investigate themselves in the flotilla incident instead of it being done by a neutral party. Corrupt! Nothing new for them. I’d arm the muslims and help them get rid of that murdering regime.
I am 100% percent agreed with what she said on the first place, You guys don’t have the what you so called “Freedom of Speech” as americans claims to be the biggest democracy that shows the two faces policies and shows that some one else have their strings they are the just the puppet, The fact is the jews created so much problem in this world and its time now american’s needs to think why they are supporting the killers against the innocent peoples.
The Israel’s Zionist has hijacked the freedom of Americans. The Americans can’t even speak what is in their inside. How painful it is, that so high authorities can’t say or persist why they said. The country that beat the drum of freedom in whole world, their citizen’s freedom of speech is extremely controlled because the US Govt is aligned with Israel. We will remain in same state until we recognized who is true well wisher of humanity, who want to seed the real peace, and who is destroying the real peace.
Having Free Speech is a right granted to us by the Bill of Rights. I don’t think anyone is denying her right to free speech. They are questioning the mode with which she uses it. Disseminating hate is abuse of the right, which cost her the privilege of her renowned seat.
Geez, all you people talking about ‘freedom of speech’ are about as dumb as they come. No one is arresting her ir charging her with a crime. That is all freedom of speech means. You are free to walk up to your boss, give him the finger and tell him you banged his wife. He can’t have you arrested but he sure as hell can fire you. So, yes, you are free to make an ass of yourself (like Ms. Thomas) and private organizations are free to fire your ass as a result.
Morons.
Am I the only one seeing a lot of comparisons between Zionism and Nazi Germany? Both parties are discriminating against a racial minority. Both have chosen to occupy lands based on moral/ethical/religious grounds, and are unwilling to submit to international authority on matters “not worth their attention.” While the comparison may seem extreme, and as Israelis are not building mass furnaces (only gun nests and checkpoints), there surely is some room for comparison. For a people oppressed so excessively, they are certainly mirroring their former oppressors. Good for Helen, to speak up the way she did. “Lawful” nation invasion should be outlawed.
As I read one of the (many) viewpoints which
OK all you people who are piling on Israel and Zionism, so you want to back the Palestinians and neighboring Arab countries? The ones who are all dictatorships (please don’t tell me these one party states are democracies) and who hate America and commit terrorist acts against us? And you’re against Israel, a true democracy that is Western and an ally of the U.S.? Exactly what is your reasoning for that? You agree with Helen Thomas that the Jews should “get out”? Are you willing to go back to where you came from so that the Native Americans can have America back?