Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas has retired amid a firestorm of criticism over comments she made on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Widely known as “the dean of the White House press corps,” Thomas is the most senior White House correspondent and has covered every president since John F. Kennedy. In a brief video interview with the website RabbiLive.com, Thomas said her message to Israelis is to “get the hell out of Palestine.” Thomas also suggested Israeli Jews should return to Poland, Germany or the United States. Thomas later issued a statement saying, “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.” We speak to former Senator James Abourezk, the first Arab American in the Senate. [includes rush transcript] http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/8/veteran_white_house_reporter_helen_thomas added by: treewolf39
