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In Defense of Helen Thomas - On Apologizing to Apologists
Helen Thomas is the dean of the White House Press corp. She has a fifty-year history of tough-minded journalism and is one of the very, very few journalists in the mainstream press who has had the guts to question US policy towards Israel.
On Friday she was asked by a guy who stuck a video camera in her face, for any comments on Israel and she said, "Tell them to get the get the hell out of Palestine. Remember, these people [the Palestinians] are occupied and it's their land. It's not Germany, it's not Poland." She was asked where they should go and she answered, "They should go home, to Poland, Germany and America". The video has been making its way around the Internet.
This was said days after the Israeli attack on the aid flotilla that killed at least nine activists as their boat sailed in international waters.
She later apologized in a short statement 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."
Her apology was not enough to stop calls for her head from those who have wanted to shut Thomas up for years.
Ari Fleischer, President George W. Bush's press secretary, led the call in an e-mail Friday to the Huffington Post saying Thomas' comments amount to "religious cleansing."
"She should lose her job over this," Fleischer wrote. "As someone who is Jewish, and as someone who worked with her and used to like her, I find this appalling."
Perhaps Fleishcher should also add that he is someone who knows something about apologies . . . being the leading apologist for the Bush administration as their war led to the deaths of at least one million Iraqis.
But Lanny Davis, former special counsel to and White House spokesman for President Bill Clinton, went even further than Fleischer. He issued a statement on Sunday saying Thomas, "has showed herself to be an anti-Semitic bigot."
Now, Davis should know something about apologies and apologists as well. TheHill.com reported that Davis led a lobbying effort against deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on behalf of Honduran business leaders. This is in defense of a regime that came to power in an illegal coup and is killing journalists and activists. Hmmm . . . defending those that kill activists . . .
Davis went on "Her [Thomas] statement that Jews in Israel should leave Israel and go back to Poland or Germany is an ancient and well-known anti-Semitic stereotype of the Alien Jew not belonging in the 'land of Israel' -- one that began 2,600 years with the first tragic and violent diaspora of the Jews at the hands of the Romans," said Davis.
Thomas was not talking about Jews that lived in the region from Roman times. If she had been given more of a chance to explain herself, rather than the 30-second sound bite traveling around the web, she might have made it clear that she also wasn't referring to the thousands of Jews who lived in Palestine prior to 1948.
What Thomas clearly did say she was talking about was Jews that had come from Germany, Poland and America. Now it's likely that most of the Jewish refugees that came to Palestine from Europe just after the War, did so not because they "belong to the land of Israel", but due to fact that the American, Canadian and British governments wouldn't drop their anti-Jewish quotas even after the horrors of the genocide were fully exposed (let's talk about some real anti-Semites).
I don't know of any opinion polls taken at the time, but if those refugees had a real choice to go to some impoverished potentially war filled land in the Middle East or join the Jewish community in New York, I know what I would have chosen.
The American Zionist organizations at the time did not fight for a more open immigration policy to allow Jews into America; they lobbied furiously for the Jewish refugees to go to Palestine as part of a move towards the founding of a Jewish state.
As is well known, this state was created in the process of expelling thousands of Palestinians from their lands, people who had nothing to do with the European genocide against the Jews. You cannot say the same about the Anglo-American countries that for much of the '30s were quite happy to equip Hitler with cars and machinery. Quite content to shut their mouths as Hitler began an ethnic cleansing that would end in barbaric genocide.
As far as the American Jews that went to live in Israel after 1948, it's difficult to believe they went to escape persecution, as many of the Jews from other places that went to Israel, in fact did. So, one can understand a certain specific resentment against American Jews who decided that it was ok, at someone else's expense, to work out their identity crisis and pick up some free airline tickets to boot.
Lanny Davis statement continued, "If she had asked all blacks to go back to Africa, what would White House Correspondents Association position be as to whether she deserved White House press room credentials -- much less a privileged honorary seat?"
Our defender of illegal coups knows very well this is not analogous. The obvious comparison is asking all European Americans to "get the hell out", and leave the land to its rightful owners, Native Americans. One could argue Mexican Americans might have an argument to stay in certain parts of the country.
The European migration to America isn't such a stretch if one thinks about it. Colonialism makes use of people fleeing religious persecution to populate their new possession . . .
At any rate, we all know what's going on here. The hyper-pro-Israel lobby, in both parties, hasn't much liked the fact that Helen Thomas dares to speak up and question that most sacred of topics, and right from the front row of the White House Press Gallery. Heck, she had the gall to ask President Obama about Israel's "secret" nuclear weapons. She even asked the current White House spokesman why the US had not condemned the Israeli attacks on the aid flotilla. No wonder they want her the hell out.
Do I think all Jews (that came after 1948) should get out of Palestine? Well, no more or less than Europeans should get out of North America, or the Portuguese should get out of Brazil, or the British should get the hell out of Australia. There does come a point where such things are simply not possible.
There's really no need anyway, there's plenty of land and resources. The only issue is, are the rights of the people who owned the land before colonization going to be respected now; is there proper compensation; do they have the right to self-determination and so on.
In the case of the Palestinians, what Israel needs to do has been made very clear in UN resolutions and in the demands of the Palestinians. In spite of the illegal blockade of Gaza, almost no one, including the Hamas representative I interviewed a few weeks ago, says the Jews have to get out. Ok there are some that say it, people get very angry after 62 years in a refugee camp, but what most Palestinians want is to live as equals with Jews in a truly democratic state.
It's way past time that we can discuss Israel and Palestine without the McCarthyite witch hunt atmosphere that has ruled for sixty years.
I said in my last blog, not all criticism of Israel is anti-Semitism -- but some is.
Helen Thomas' isn't.
- Posted in
150 Comments so far
Show AllI like Helen, but she has become, sadly, a threadbare representative of a perceived past period of domestic integrity...
a misty-memory time of serious questions, and answers of consequence...
a time that no longer exists, if it ever did...
we are in the hands of the violent, and will remain so until we cut them off...
Anybody who is a true change agent knows that unless you are wealthy you need to demand a foot to end up with an inch. Helen realizes that starting the conversation or negotiation in the middle means you WILL NOT solve the problem. The conversation or negotiation needs to start at an extreme is there is to be any hope of solving the problem.
If you say anything against Israel you are Anti-Semitic and a bigot -- period. Say anything you like against any other group, especially if they are, say Mexicans or Muslims, etc. People certainly won't be clamoring for you to get fired from your job, that's for sure. I read this in a comment at HuffPo -- one of the few sane comments about this.
I am still a fan of Helen Thomas to the end. I understand what she was talking about.
Nobody felt hot under the collar when Sir Winston Churchill
spoke in Parliament on the subject of why Palestine rightfully
belonged to East European Jews and not to it's native people:
I do not agree that the dog in a manger has the final right to
the manger even though he may have lain there for a very long
time. I do not admit that right. I do not admit for instance,
that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America
or the black people of Australia. I do not admit that a wrong
has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race,
a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that
way, has come in and taken their place.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill
This was when the British were following their colonial manual
of dirty tricks to graft a Jewish homeland onto Palestine
that was meant to "form for England a little loyal Jewish
Ulster in a sea of potentially hostile Arabism."
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=2410
Helen Thomas, whose parents were Lebanese immigrants,
knows these statements well as she was 17 years old
when they were expressed. Of course, the odds of most
Americans knowing anything of this history are somewhat
slimmer.
"I do not understand this squeamishness about the use of gas... I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes...
- Churchill
Yes. Churchill was aware of (or ordered, or accepted) the use of poison gas from airplanes to massacre Iraqis opposed to the British occupation after WW I.
Tnx 4 the info & quotes, m156. Useful knowledge. Important perspective.
Helen Thomas's timing on this provides a convenient distraction from the flotilla issue and that pains me. On the other hand, if we could, at long last, get a decent discussion in the media about stifling dissent and playing the anti-Semite card whenever anyone says anything off the script about Israel, that would be a very good thing; however, I am not holding my breath for that to happen.
I don't recall much concern when pro-Israeli's say the Palestinians should all go to Jordan or some other Arab countries. Perhaps there is a distinction between these two suggestions, but I am incapable of distinguishing the difference.
As a former teacher, I learned to make judgments about my students only after observing them for many, many months. Even then, I would sometimes get it wrong. You have to look at all behaviors, not just at the results of a single test. In this country we tend to flush human beings down the toilet after one screw-up: you get sacked, imprisoned, or executed without ever the possibility of redemption. Helen Thomas made an extreme statement: that is a single observation. Now let's look at the pattern of her whole life: Is there evidence of anti-semitism, of racism, of bigotry? I don't see it. I would caution her to think carefully how she answers questions in the future, but I would not make a summary judgment about her social and political values.
It's not making a judgement based on one remark; it is the result of her telling uncomfortable -- impermissable -- truths fro some time, and that 'they' were out to get her, and just waiting for an excuse to attack.
"I said in my last blog, not all criticism of Israel is anti-Semitism -- but some is."
In truth, NO criticism of Israel is anti-Semitism.
Criticism of Jews for being Jews - wherever they are - is anti-Semitism.
But the author is correct: Helen Thomas is not anit-Semitic.
q
Semites are descendents of Shem, son of Abraham... If you support the Palestinians... how can you be an "anti-semite"? Isn't a Palestinian a semite, too? And if you are from a line of jewish converts... you're not semitic, are you? Hummm... It would seem that the zionists have completely hijacked the word. Hijacking... What else can we expect from pirates?
Thank you, Paul Jay.
"Her careless comment will limit her future effectiveness as a reporter."
I disagree. The zionists have always hated her; they would never listen to her anyway.
q
EXCELLENT comment, Prrofessor
I agree. Retired Professor.
I have thought the same thoughts as Ms. Thomas many times. A majority of Israeli Zionist settlers since 1967 are rich and come from perfectly comfortable upper middle class neighborhoods in the US and Europe. They could go back home and suffer absolutely no hardship for doing it.
Good point, SaboCat. In fact, more than a few do go back home after they realize how insane Israel is. Or else they maintain a home both in the country of origin and in Israel; that way they don't have to be in Loonyland all the time.
"There's really no need anyway, there's plenty of land and resources."
With statements like that, it is hard to take the overall piece seriously.
But I do appreciate the hits on scumbag Lanny -- the more the better!
There, but for the grace of Allah/God/Yahweh, ...
I can only be thankful that not all of my own outrageous statements made in moments of outrage have been carefully catalogued and reported by the so-called "news media."
An excellent article... thomas should have thrown Russia in there too...since over amillion
economic refugees came from russia in the 90's and often are the most virulent on you tube videos against arabs. And then supplanted the cheap labor of palistineans....making them even more 'disposable'.
I really appreciate what paul brings up about the USA not letting jews in during ww2 or after anywhere near what we could have welcomed. Americans to this day ignore this horrible history...though well documented in two books that have been in print since the 80s
Abandonment of the Jews by Wyman and While Six Million Died by Morse.
Paul and all readers, read both of these books. They document the cynical lies then and continuing now and still taught in general history classes in universities. The USA and UK knew full well the extent of the extermination going on...from 1941,,,and more completely, with witnesses etc...from 1942. STILL we wouldn't even let one boat unload here.
The jews of budapest later in the war...pleaded with the allies to bomb the ONE rail line to auswitz...they didn't ....even though bombs were being dropped on other targets just one hundred miles away.....we know what happened then.
A horrible 'what if' idea......IF the USA was not so anti semitic then (FHA loans were coded not only lower if blacks lived on a city block but also jews remember- see Crabgrass Frontier by Jackson)...and of course a near majority of support in congress for mussolini and hitler until hitler invaded poland.....but what if ..we had let one million to two million jews into the USA. Since most of them were excluded from land owning in their countries, and under other types of racist laws, they would have been already very suited to building self help communities in our cities...since the USA would not have given them loans to move to the suburbs..and their labor would have been needed in the war boom economy...
And as the USA government was actually right in their mindset, not ours, in limiting 'slav' and polish, hungarian etc....jewish eastern immigration before world war 2 since many of them were left (they were, by nature of the oppression of hundreds of years)...most of the jews would have immediately begun bottom up social democratic/anarchist organizing with all others in the cities...as the jews here back then were doing already.
My god, what a different and better country we would have now...if 2 million jews had moved into our cities ....organizing with african americans (jews before the 1950s were so much more involved in that, compared to us white "christians")...and pushing white workers to stop their racist alignment with rich white people....my god.....
what could have happened?
Sorry about my spelling and tangents...but damn that would make a good historical novel huh?
The true sadness of the acts of the right wing zionists...makes me think always of this what if....what amazing people these jews were that were killed...and how much more they could of made us and this country better. So in that respect...the USA was right to keep them out.
they were trouble. Cuz they were the beauty of germany and eastern europe. Stalin and all the nazis allies knew this. And our govt allowed it. ....was frankly....ok to let it happen...cuz rescuing refugees 'was not part of the war effort'.....a quote....
Watch Shoah.....the best eight hours you can spend.
The self-appointed spokespersons for all Jews, and I know that they are not, who routinely make spurious charges of anti-semitism for political purposes apparently will not be happy until this nation returns to the anti-semitism of its past.
Tony Vodvarka
Perhaps a more profound assessment than even they realise themselves, and certainly not confined to "this nation."
With a few words one can be disliked by some, but at the same time
can also be appreciated by the people of the world.
Like Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa, Helen Thomas has become immortal!
May human conscience continues to shine out brightly over
the darkness of brutality.
A big thumb up for the author of the article.
Looks like they "won." See follow-up article at http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/06/07-6
"I spoke with the head military lawyer for the IDF, Joel Singer, and I said 'You know, I'm two weeks here. It's clear you people are inflicting Nuremberg crimes on the Palestinians, exactly what the Nazis did to the Jews. What's your explanation?' He said 'Military necessity'. Notice, he didn't disagree with me. I said 'That argument was rejected at Nuremberg when the lawyers for the Nazis made it.' So then he said, 'Well, we have public relations people in the United States, and they handle these matters for us.' "
-- Francis Boyle, Professor of International Law, University of Illinois
OMG, someone compared Israeli crimes to Nazi crimes, why this cannot be *gasps, faints*
Except everyone except the ziopologists & the PRPITUS -- PR People in the United States -- sees it, knows it, and since they flaunt their brutality and dare anyone to stop them or the US for backing them, we will never stop saying it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQcQdWBqt14&feature=player_embedded
BREAKING: Helen Thomas Retires
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0607/white-house-correspondent-apologizes-israel-remarks/
Here's the real racism: Class Racism
The G-20 this weekend announced an end to worldwide fiscal stimulus. In order to save bondholders (the "elite") they've agreed to push forward with ramped-up austerity measures which will punish the working-class and step-up their power.
In the spirit of Helen Thomas I'd like to say: Tell those Goldman Sach's bankers to get the hell out of my government!
http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/06/06/g-20-cancels-fiscal-expansionism-hooverism-on-a-global-scale/
Good perspective.
Nice one.
Too true. But have the bards of mythology ever been otherwise employed?
As if getting the hell out of Palestine wouldn't help. I'm pro-Jewish and anti-Israel, by the way, and, since Arabs are Semitic, being pro-Arab can't be considered anti-semitic except by the stupid and ignorant.
Thank you... thank you... thank you...
The Zionists have hijacked (you know... like piracy) the word "anti-semite".
Hell... most of the Zionists aren't even semites... they are Europeans!
The Zionists broke international law by boarding a vessel at sea and they were being roundly condemned for their actions. To change the topic they used Helen Thomas to play the victim card. Sorry, your not victims but perpetrators of ethnic cleansing and state terrorism. The amoral behavior of the Obama administration in failing to condemn Israel reflects both the moral bankruptcy of Obama and the strangle hold Zionism has on American foreign policy. In effect, Israel has hegemony over the United States. It's time to expose the Zionists and put an end to the nonsense that Zionists are beyond criticism. One can clearly be anti Zionist without being an anti-semite. It's time to shut down the influence of Zionism in America. You know within legal and moral limits what you have to do.
Governmental condemnation was lukewarm, particularly in this backward country.
Worse than just an attack in international waters, they attacked a NATO member.
We are supposed to defend other members of NATO. I suspect the case can be made that we ought *at least technically* to be in a state of war with Israel.
Stone
Very well said. Unfortunately it does not appear that Keith Olbermann will be among those who will be condemning Zionism. I just saw the headlines on his show tonight and nowhere was there mention by him of what Helen Thomas had said and how she was probably forced to resign because she offended the sensibilities of AIPAC. So much for that liberal lion taking on the tyrannical state of Israel.
Pointing out Fleischer's and Davis' hypocrisy is important. In a sane world, both would be charged with war crimes for lobbying and defending wars, coups, and generalized murder and mayhem. And indeed they subsist off anti-semitism that allows them to play the victim, while using their identities for their own propaganda purposes.
Helen Thomas was one of a kind, not least for her courage in saying what the rest of the pusillanimous WH press corps--and most of the craven political establishment--wouldn't dare to. The pity is that the pro-israel McCarthyites have done their dirty work again: she resigned rather than put up with the pack of howling dogs. The larger pity is that she was right, as your piece pointed out. Thanks for that. May a thousand Helen Thomas' bloom in her place.
This is so sad.
I hope Helen's career continues indendently of the M$M.
Best wishes to Helen Thomas.
Chelsea
Helen's only "mistake" in this whole episode, is that she spoke the truth. Have you ever seen some of these Israeli "settlers" being interviewed? They tend to interview those that can speak English. Nothing is more galling than hearing a NYC accent trying to explain why he has the god-given right to settle on Palestinian lands. Most of these "settlers" are from Eastern Europe and as Helen pointed out, they shouldn't be there in the first place.
Cheers.
They got her. Such a sad turn of events.
Helen Thomas is a hero - including for speaking her mind on Israel-Palestine.
In a jokular social context "she was asked whether she had any "comments on Israel". "Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine," she said [interspersed with laugther]. "Remember these people are occupied and it's their land, not Germany and not Poland..." [Interrupted with question: "Where should they go?")
"They can go home, Poland, Germany, and America and everywhere else [but occupied Palestine, we can surmise]," she added."
This is what many think about Israel's presence in Palestine. This is not changed by the fact that in a broader, more reflected context we'd add the "belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance".
At present Israel shows a strong will NOT to show "mutual respect and tolerance". This leaves the option that "They can go home" - as the Israeli state is not willing to engage in the necessary "respect and tolerance" to justify their staying in Palestine. Or anywhere else, really.
Israel's de facto attitudes and conduct are in fact banned from the face of the earth - by the UN charter, International law on war, Geneva conventions etc.
Plus Israel's stances are opposed by that physical principle socially applied (and activated where and whenever people meet), based on Newton's 3. law "Force = Counterforce", namely the "Golden Rule of Ethics": Reciprocity - "Be to others as you'd like them being to you."
It's sad that a hero of clear thinking and just comment like Helen Thomas has been largely tricked to resign in disgrace, by that microscope on honest thinking which a webcast on the internet comprises.
The narrow confines of Politically Correct thinking - in opposition to honest thinking - became her bane.
May her career R I P - from further sullying by her opponents.
May the fantastic Helen Thomas go on to write even more honest, powerful texts - now that she's resigned from Hearst Newspapers.
Truly extraordinary how a few words can elicit the high moral dudgeon of the U.S.'s biggest hypocrites in a way that the blood of tens, thousands, indeed millions cannot. That this incident comes hard on the heels of the Israeli-massacre-cum-media-blitz only serves to foreground the disproportion all the more.
And what about the Israeli leaders' past comments about Palestinians as cockroaches whose heads should be smashed etc. etc.?
The difference being, of course, that their heads have indeed been smashed and are still being smashed.
To cut a knife, as it were, through all the double-talk, here is a poem I read the other day on Electronic Intifada:
Occupation is not occupation
by Ghassan Hage
I don't write poems but, in any case, poems are not poems.
Long ago, I was made to understand that Palestine was not Palestine;
I was also informed that Palestinians were not Palestinians;
They also explained to me that ethnic cleansing was not ethnic cleansing.
And when naive old me saw freedom fighters they patiently showed me that they were not freedom fighters, and that resistance was not resistance.
And when, stupidly, I noticed arrogance, oppression and humiliation they benevolently enlightened me so I can see that arrogance was not arrogance, oppression was not oppression, and humiliation was not humiliation.
I saw misery, racism, inhumanity and a concentration camp.
But they told me that they were experts in misery, racism, inhumanity and concentration camps and I have to take their word for it: this was not misery, racism, inhumanity and a concentration camp.
Over the years they've taught me so many things: invasion was not invasion, occupation was not occupation, colonialism was not colonialism and apartheid was not apartheid.
They opened my simple mind to even more complex truths that my poor brain could not on its own compute like: "having nuclear weapons" was not "having nuclear weapons," "not having weapons of mass destruction" was "having weapons of mass destruction."
And, democracy (in the Gaza Strip) was not democracy.
Having second class citizens (in Israel) was democracy.
So you'll excuse me if I am not surprised to learn today that there were more things that I thought were evident that are not: peace activists are not peace activists, piracy is not piracy, the massacre of unarmed people is not the massacre of unarmed people.
I have such a limited brain and my ignorance is unlimited.
And they're so fucking intelligent. Really.
Ghassan Hage is professor of anthropology and social theory at the University of Melbourne.
numbing us to this cognitive dissonance is the powerful's greatest parlor trick.
war is peace. freedom is slavery. everything is nothing.
nothing wrong here.
"Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are."
You know what's indefensible? Israel's behavior and willingness of politicians in our country to support it.
Israel has attacked every one of their neighbors and stolen theif land. They have committed war crimes and are systematically starving the people of Gaza.
Israel has never apologized.
When are they going to resign?
Helen, this is from my heart--you have been the only light in the room for so long--when you are no longer there how will we ever have a view of the truth then? Thanks for all that you have given to us the truth seekers from the bottoms of our hearts--I had the privilege of watching you for over 50 years--you were always honest you were always brave, and you always asked the right questions--thank you, you lovely lady, and may you have a long and happy retirement,--I know that you specifically picked this moment in time to retire to DRAW ATTENTION TO WHY YOUR ANSWER WAS SO POWERFUL, and would shock the world like the last question you asked about any nukes in the ME Mr. Pres.--it's perfect and will remind people why this happened and who is responsible.
People must remember this lady and this day in American History--It is an extremely important turning point for this nation. This day and this QUESTION Who is leading this nation SORELY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IF WE ARE TO GO ON.THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION MRS. THOMAS
Cranky old ladies, God love em! Helen has definitely paid enough dues to be entitled to say what is on her mind. This one is definitely not going out with a whimper. Hope I've got that much ginger left when I am her age. Happy retirement!
Helen Thomas was made to be the scapecoat. How pathetic the bought media brought to you by AIPAC gets their thrills picking on an older women. Helen said it just like it is: ISRAEL - GET OUT OF PALESTINE! Simple. When an individual who is part of the so-called mainstreram media has an opposing view about Israel, AIPAC toadies kick in the usual Jew victimization play. It's really sickening. Just so AIPAC knows just because Helen Thonas is not there anymore to offer a refreshing truth now and then, does not mean there are thousands upon thousands who feel the same way she does. Just so you know - AIPAC. FREEDOM FOR PALESTINE.
Jimijazz,
Well Stated.
Chelsea