Helen Thomas Retires, and Not a Moment Too Soon [Excerpts]
By Cal Thomas
Anti-Semite: "a person who discriminates against or is prejudiced or hostile toward Jews."
Some prejudices are tolerated by elites in this country. Examples: One can regularly smear political conservatives as know-nothings; Evangelical Christians as believers in a fantasy; Roman Catholics for their church's stand against abortion and birth control; and Republicans as greedy people who care only about profit and power. Bill Maher regularly serves up a menu of these prejudices on his HBO program. Comedy Central is working on a cartoon series mocking Jesus Christ, but altered a sketch featuring the Prophet Muhammad for fear of a Muslim backlash. Some prejudices must be controlled.
One prejudice seems to be gaining a certain cachet. Like a volcano, it occasionally erupts to reveal what has been churning below the surface. That prejudice is anti-Semitism and the exploding volcano that set it off is Helen Thomas, the longtime "senior" White House correspondent for United Press International and more recently a columnist for Hearst Newspapers. That is until Monday, when Ms. Thomas, bombarded by criticism over her recent statements regarding Jews in Palestine, relinquished her front-row seat at presidential press briefings and announced a hasty retirement.
Ms. Thomas' latest trouble began on May 27 at a White House ceremony marking Jewish Heritage Month. Rabbi David Nesenoff saw Thomas and asked her opinion about recent developments in the Middle East. Thomas, who is of Lebanese descent, said the Jews in Israel should "go home to Germany, Poland and the United States."
Should the "Palestinians" go home to Jordan, which is where many of them are from? Where would Thomas like to send the 1 million Jews from Arab countries, or the Ethiopian Jews? Perhaps Thomas should "go home" to Lebanon. Besides, the Jews are home.
After her remarks went viral on the Internet, Thomas issued one of those statements that could have come from a politician she has covered: "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." Cue "The Age of Aquarius" music.
A generous person might forgive a one-off "slip of the tongue," but Helen Thomas has a long history of questioning and opposing anything Israel does in its own defense. While not all criticism of Israel should be translated as anti-Semitism, Thomas' rhetoric over the years seems to betray a deep-seated hatred of Jews.
