BREAKING MSNBC: Helen Thomas to retire...

[Subdivisions]

Story developing right now.

[Oregone]

1. What does she get in exchange?

Will the Jews get the hell out of Palestine?

[uppityperson]

10. Too bad she said "Israel" not "the jews".

[Oregone]

12. Oh, I must of been mistaken

Thats not controversial at all. WTF?

[uppityperson]

14. Can you criticize an administration, yet support the people?

There is a big difference between "jews get the hell out of Israel" and what she said:


"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.

[Oregone]

17. Well....now Im confused

"so where should they go?"

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





Doesn't that imply all Israeli citizens leaving for Europe and elsewhere (namely, Jews)?

Not that I don't think thats a reasonable idea at this point...the creation of that state has caused so much pain for everyone and has solved nothing. I don't have an ideal solution, and that surely isn't ideal

[uppityperson]

21. No, it implies Israel should stop occupying Palestine. We each hear what we want, I'd like to see a

longer video since all I could find was what I transcribed.

[Oregone]

25. And go back to Poland, Germany, America, And everywhere else.

Yes, I guess we all hear what we want.


But yes, a video would be useful. Its all water under the bridge at this point anyway. What a big loss

[Catherina]

30. She was totally correct. She was speaking about illegal settlers in occupied Palestine

who are subsidized by the Israeli government to immigrate and occupy stolen land.

They need to go back to where they came from.

The *good* Rabbi who made that tape, http://www.rabbilive.com/RabbiLIVE/Home.html is a filmaker. He needs to release the full tape, not this hatchet job. Shame on anyone twisting this to shut up a critic of the occupation.

I stand by Helen.


NESENOFF: Any comments on Israel? We’re asking everybody today-
THOMAS: Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine.
NESENOFF: Whoa! Any better comments?
THOMAS, LAUGHING: Remember, these people are occupied, and it isn’t their land — not German, and not Polish.
NESENOFF: So where should they go? What should they do?
THOMAS: Go home.
NESENOFF: Where’s home?
THOMAS: Poland. Germany.
NESENOFF: So just go back to Poland and Germany?
THOMAS: And America, and everywhere else.

[Oregone]

33. So the settlers aren't Israeli?

Because if they were, wouldn't "home" be Israel? She didn't mention Israel as a place to go back to.

[Catherina]

35. What part of illegal settlers illegally occupying Palestinian lands

What part of illegal settlers, coming in from the Western world and being subsidized by the Israeli government to illegally occupy Palestinian lands do you not understand?

[Oregone]

37. Well, there is a load of ambiguity in her statement

So your very specific case put forth for "understanding" seems like a bit of a reach. Just my honest opinion.

[Catherina]

39. There was no ambiguity with the context. Hence the spliced, edited video

The conversation was about the West Bank. This rabbi is a professional film maker. He showed what he wanted you to see. He'll be on Fox News tonight, back with his buddies.

Helon down. No one else left but a bunch of quivering cowards.

[Kalyke]

2. Groan... there goes the last vestage of properly-trained journalists.

(Save Sy Hersh and a very, very small handful of others who probably will retire soon).

[MadBadger]

4. A Properly trained journalist should maintain their neutrality.

That is something Helen does not do. Shes much more fit for a column on a newspaper, then the White House Press Room.

[nichomachus]

6. Really? In the face of mass murder by a nation? Really? Neutral?

Yeah, right.

[Raineyb]

7. That's bullshit. There's no such thing. It's that stance of faux neutrality

that has news stories covering the truth then including completely bat shit insane foolishness with no basis in fact as though both were perfectly legitimate points of view when one is right and the other clearly wrong.

[Recursion]

15. Wrong. Journalists need to be objective, not "neutral"

There's a huge difference.

[Oregone]

18. Journalists have never been robots

She was asked an opinion question, and replied with an opinion

[pipoman]

22. I agree..

in addition to neutrality a journalist should never BE the news through expressing their own irrelevant opinions, this is the line crossed here IMO..she should write a column

[Bluebear]

40. Surprise, surprise

[laughingliberal]

19. +1000 nt

[asdjrocky]

3. Now there will be no one asking the big questions.

[Raineyb]

8. Which is exactly what they want n/t

[laughingliberal]

20. Yep. nt

[Maru Kitteh]

5. I wish her well. Her place in history is secure.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. Israel kills an AMerican citizen and isn't held accountable.

Helen Thomas crosses the line verbally in regards to Israel and she's sent packing.

Anyone see something wrong with this?

[uppityperson]

11. me. It is telling

[glitch]

13. Pretty damn shameful itsn't it?

I am sure Ari Fleischer is thrilled though.

I hope she gets a regular gig on Colbert.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

16. Good point

but what she said was disgusting but you are right it is much more disgusting to kill 9 people who were bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.

[laughingliberal]

23. Absolutely, I see something wrong with it. nt

[malaise]

24. And Bush admits on air that he lied about torture

but not a single word of condemnation from anyone including Ari.

[PCIntern]

26. Pardon me but that's just nonsense...

there have been numerous students who were American citizens killed in terrorist attacks, or as you might term them, freedom-fighter attacks, in Israel. I didn't read too much outrage here at those incidents.

This woman stated something which was just reprehensible, and no so-called liberal should be caught defending the statement...her RIGHT to make the statement perhaps, but the content was outrageous.

If Brit Hume or Hannity said, "The blacks should go back to where they came from." this Board would be loaded with threads demanding their firing. and well that they should be.

Different criteria for Israel, I suppose....nothing new here.

[Catherina]

31. Oh yes

I stand by Helen.





# “Ari, does the President think that the Palestinians have a right to resist 35 years of brutal military occupation and suppression?”
— Helen Thomas’s question to White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, April 1, 2002.

[Raineyb]

27. And Pat Buchanan continues to spew. No backlash for him.

Looks like it depends on WHO your comments are directed towards that determine whether or not you get to continue working.

[blogslut]

28. Well, this is not surprising

Ms. Thomas has had a long and feisty career. I admire the way she gave guff in the White House press room. However, I prefer to remember her and Martha Mitchell, on the phone, chatting about dirty tricks.

[opihimoimoi]

29. The RWers are happy as they hated her for saying "Ya Gonna be SORRY"

She did good for all these years...as it turns out

she is right...


the Jews were given land that was taken from them Palestinians in 47....

The real owners of the region goes back to the Pagans and Heathens 8,000 + years ago according to the Bible

The Levites commanded the Jews to rape, pillage, and plunder Ca'naanites, Hittiteslk, Armorites, Hivites, etc

They made slaves of the Pagans and Heathens...raped their daughters and slayed the men and kids...took their land of milk and honey...by force.

The JEWs were a warlike cult gone mad with power....

The Tribe of Levites are still very much in play

I support Helen, she is an amazing woman and I think she should be given a Luau Celebration to honor her years..

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

32. A great loss to journalism and and to freedom of the press.

Now, we can expect journalists too intimidated to question Israel's murderous policies in fear of retribution from the right. Not to mention a long list of other issues that Helen courageously challenged our government on.

[glen123098]

34. It was an incredibly stupid thing for her to say...

But Bill O'reilly has said some stuff equally stupid such as a 12 year old kid likes to be raped, and he is still on the air...

[Oregone]

38. Bill is a shock jock

She is a respected journalist. When she says something sloppy, she loses credentials, whereas he gains it.

In my opinion, I just don't see why her comments are worthy of getting canned though. Ridiculous.

[KittyWampus]

36. Has she written her memoirs?