Helen Thomas, the 89-year-old veteran White House
correspondent, will retire effective immediately in the wake of her
offensive comments on Israel.
"Helen Thomas announced Monday that she is retiring, effective
immediately," a Hearst Newspapers statement said. "Her decision came
after her controversial comments about Israel and the Palestinians were
captured on videotape and widely disseminated on the Internet."
Thomas, who transitioned from reporter to columnist in 2000 but kept
her front-row seat at White House briefings, had come under fire for her
statement that Israel should "get the hell out of Palestine" and that
Jews in Israeli should return to Germany, Poland, or the US.
Thomas apologized for the comments, saying:
The White House Monday called Thomas' remarks "offensive and
"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."
reprehensible."
"Helen Thomas' comments were indefensible and the White House
Correspondents Association board firmly dissociates itself from them,"
the WHCA said in a statement. "Many in our profession who have known
Helen for years were saddened by the comments, which were especially
unfortunate in light of her role as a trail blazer on the White House
beat."
The WHCA statement added that the incident "does revive the issue of
whether it is appropriate for an opinion columnist to have a front row
seat in the WH briefing room."
More from the Associated Press:
The national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham H.
Foxman, said Sunday that Thomas' apology didn't go far enough.
"Her suggestion that Israelis should go back to Poland and Germany is
bigoted and shows a profound ignorance of history," Foxman said in a
statement. "We believe Thomas needs to make a more forceful and sincere
apology for the pain her remarks have caused."
Thomas began her long career with the wire service United Press
International in 1943, and started covering the White House in 1960,
according to a biography posted on her website. She became a columnist
for Hearst in 2000.
Helen Thomas Through The Years (PHOTOS)
Helen Thomas ended a storied career as a White House correspondent Monday when she retired in the wake of controversial and offensive comments she made about Israel.
But her career amounted to much more than the final remark.
Thomas, who made her name with UPI before joining Hearst Newspapers as a columnist, is known for breaking the glass ceiling around White House reporting and was the first woman to both be admitted to and to lead the White House Correspondents Association.
Below, review Helen Thomas' White House career in photos:
Helen Thomas Through The Years (PHOTOS)
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