Helen Thomas's apology and a transcript of the interchange, not just partial quote.

[uppityperson]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/06/05/2010-06-05_white_house_press_icon_takes_heat_after_slam_of_jews.html

"I deeply regret my comments I made last week regarding the Israelis and the Palestinians. They do not reflect my heartfelt 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," she wrote.

The daughter of Lebanese immigrants who has covered the administrations of 10 Presidents in a career spanning nearly 60 years made her controversial comments at a White House Jewish Heritage Celebration on May 27.

Since partial quotes of what she said have been posted, here is more:
"Any comments on Israel?"

HT "Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine.
Remember, these people are occupied and it's their land. It's not Germany, not Poland."

"so where should they go?"

HT "Home. Poland. Germany. America. And everywhere else.

[bbdad]

1. Helen Thomas

Oops! Your slip is showing, Helen. That's funny; I'm getting a Rand Paul feeling. What about all the Jews who were born in Israel since 1948? Where should they go?

Helen Thomas is an anti-Semitic jerk. I used to respect her. Not anymore.

Oh, by the way, I'm not Jewish.

[azurnoir]

3. Did she say Jews get out of Israel? yes or no? n/t

[Laughing Mirror]

4. She says Israel should get out of Palestine

But it doesn't matter because the smear brigade pays no attention to what a person says but to what the smearers want to hear.

[uppityperson]

7. No. She said Tell Israel to get the hell out of Palestine...

"Any comments on Israel?"

HT "Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine.
Remember, these people are occupied and it's their land. It's not Germany, not Poland."

"so where should they go?"

HT "Home. Poland. Germany. America. And everywhere else.
-----------------
I find it telling that so many people cannot differentiate between a government/State (Israel) and a group of people living there (Jews).

[lumpy]

8. Helen Thomas is of Lebanese decent. Perhaps she has

plenty of reason to hate Israel's arrogance.

[Catherina]

2. How convenient. Helen is now out of the way. Shameful for the US n/t

[howaboutme]

5. Let's look at the big picture and not just an 89 yo's comments

Can anyone deny that this is not a concerted effort to muzzle and instill fear of candor or criticism of Israel to the White House press staff?

I think the point she was trying to make was that Israel was an artificially created country by the UN that forced out and displaced many of the Palestinian people that originally lived there, by importing people from Germany, Poland, USA, Russia, etc.

Helen Thomas is an asset because she is one of the few reporters that has asked the HARD questions in the White House about the rationale behind the often irrational actions of the USA.

While they are screaming about an 89 yo woman's candid comments, we overlook the fact that OUR nation is being compromised for the benefit of another nation. The most powerful lobby of our USA Congress doesn't even represent USA interests. This lobby represents the interests of another country. If we permit another country to bribe, bend and intimidate our members of Congress to the benefit of another nation (Israel), and includes the giving of billions of dollars we don't have, will there be any good outcome for the vast majority of Americans under such an arrangement?

[LeftishBrit]

6. You are giving those 'billions of dollars'..

to benefit the military-industrial complex, and to keep going an alliance that the leadership rightly or wrongly thinks *does* benefit the USA.

Not because a country of 7 million people has that much power over a huge country that holds the financial levers over it.