A longer video clip has now been posted of the full exchange between Helen Thomas and passersby that included Jewish students and David Nesenoff. The brouhaha that ensued led to trailblazer Thomas announcing her retirement. This full clip gives a decidedly different tenor to the exchange than the truncated remark that was seized upon to vilify an American icon. I caught this at Balloon Juice, where John Cole entitles his post ‘You Got Played‘ and writes with fitting sarcasm:
Here’s the “appalling” transcript:
Q: Any advice for these young people over here for starting out in the press corps?Thomas: Go for it. You’ll never be unhappy. You’ll always keep people informed, you’ll always keep learning. The greatest thing of the profession is you’ll never stop learning.
Q: Today they are covering the Jewish Heritage Month.
Thomas: ... and meet the President.
A: Any comments on Israel? We’re asking everyone today, any comments on..
Thomas: Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine.
Q: Oooh. Any better comments?
Thomas: Remember, these people are occupied, and it’s their land. It’s not German and it’s not Poland.
Q: So where should they go, what should they do?
Thomas: They can go home.
Q: Where is home?
Thomas: Poland. Germany.
Q: So you are saying Jews should go back to Poland?
Thomas: And America and everywhere else. Why push people out who have lived their for centuries? See?
Q: Now, are you familiar with the history of that region and what took place?
Thomas: Very much. I’m of Arab background.
{It goes on for a little while with friendly banter about languages they both speak with words I can not even begin to spell.}
Q: Thank you.
Thomas: All the best to you (directed at the Jewish students). Go for it- go for journalism, you’ll never regret it.
Clearly, this woman is evil beyond words. The way she smiled at those Jewish kids while giving them friendly advice to enter careers in journalism so they can have fulfilling lives of learning and accomplishment when secretly, I have been assured by liberals and others, what she really wants is to transport them back to the gas ovens of the Holocaust (for the morons- see the update).
You guys got played. And by this jackass, running around doing Mexican impressions in his spare time. Does anyone still want to try to pretend she was suggesting people be time-warped back to Auschwitz? Or that her pleasantly offering advice to Jewish students was horrifying anti-Semitism at work? Anyone?
On the upside, no one is talking about the unpleasantness with the flotilla anymore.
----------------------
First time I heard about it on TV they were saying that she said "the Jews should go back to Auschwitz"!! Nothing of what she actually said here...Looks like we've been all had, fellows! AGAIN!
Grow up. What Thomas said was stupid enough. She’s lost her job. There is no reason to pretend she was implying people should be sent off to Nazi Germany or Poland and be exterminated. Quit making things up and impugning those who aren’t into playing your games. I think (again, as I have stated repeatedly), the state of Israel and her citizens have every right to exist. I don’t think, however, that criticism of policies of the state of Israel are somehow verboten.
ReplyDeleteIt was rather stupid. ( Though not stupid enough for all of this ridiculous mock outrage!) After all, she and her family and millions of other immigrants and their ancestors(including mine!) are on land that was inhabited for centuries by Native Americans. Does she propose to pack up all of her relatives and leave and go back to Lebanon? The Turks murdered loads of Armenians and Assyrians and took over their lands and properties....but, oh I forgot, that falls under the statute of limitations of long, long ago and can't be pinned on the WHITE MAN. (Ironically speaking, of course!)
Although, I would tend to agree with her with regard to the fanatic settlers movement.
<span>Unlike any other settler-colonial states in history, Israel stands alone in that it was historically the last colonization project to get off the ground. And it is the last and currently the only one to remain active. At a time when universal values were being emphasized, and the right of native people to self-determination was expressed in International law, Israel went the other way. Other settler states have fulfilled their "manifest destiny" to use an American term, colonization there is over and done with. Not so in the present case. </span>
ReplyDeleteCanadian Government to put Pixies on list of terrorist organisation
ReplyDelete<span>“If the Pixies want to boycott Israel, then Canada is at war with the Pixies.”</span>
This is beyond ridiculous..First, the anti-Semite label became worthless and now, the tewwest!
ReplyDeleteTurkey invaded and occupied Cyprus in 1974, I believe, and continues to occupy a part of it. It has also brought in thousands of Turks to settle in Cyprus.
ReplyDeleteThe Turks conquered the Island in 1570, to say that colonization began in 1974 is very misleading.
ReplyDeleteThe Turks conquered the Island in 1570, to say that colonization began in 1974 is very misleading.
ReplyDelete<span><span>The Turks conquered the Island in 1570, to say that colonization began in 1974 is very misleading.</span>
ReplyDeleteOf course, (Never mind about treaties and loss of wars in the intervening years,) that let's Turkey off the hook, right?... and confirms what I wrote in my original comment on this thread:
<span>....but, oh I forgot, that falls under the statute of limitations of long, long ago and can't be pinned on the WHITE MAN.</span>
<span></span><span>(Ironically speaking, of course!) </span></span>
vza, there is no point in getting angry and repeating yourself. I'm just trying to make you realize that Israel is unlike the other colonial-settler states in history because it started in the wrong century. To refute that you chose the example of Cyprus were the Turks have ruled for five centuries. This is not a good example and it certainly doesn't help your argument. Either find a different example or concede that there is nothing like Israel in the post-colonial age.
ReplyDeletevza, there is no point in getting angry and repeating yourself. I'm just trying to make you realize that Israel is unlike the other colonial-settler states in history because it started in the wrong century. To refute that you chose the example of Cyprus were the Turks have ruled for five centuries. This is not a good example and it certainly doesn't help your argument. Either find a different example or concede that there is nothing like Israel in the post-colonial age.
ReplyDelete<span>vza, there is no point in getting angry and repeating yourself. I'm just trying to make you realize that Israel is unlike the other colonial-settler states in history because it started in the wrong century. To refute that you chose the example of Cyprus where the Turks have ruled for five centuries. This is not a good example and it certainly doesn't help your argument. Either find a different example or concede that there is nothing like Israel in the post-colonial age.</span>
ReplyDelete<span><span>vza, there is no point in getting angry</span></span>
ReplyDeletePlease do not do that. That tactic is offensive. I am not angry at all. The island was ceded to the British Empire in 1874 and gained independence in 1960. The Turks invaded, occupied, and settled a part of the island beginning in 1974. They are still there in 2010. Those are facts.
"occupied"
ReplyDeleteWho are they occupying?
"and gained independence in 1960"
ReplyDeleteOnly after both Greek and Turkish Cypriots agreed to abandon plans to unite with Greece. In 1974 an attempt to annex the island to Greece resulted in Turkish military intervention.
<span>"and gained independence in 1960"
ReplyDelete</span>
<span>Which was only achieved after both Greek and Turkish Cypriots agreed to abandon plans for union with Greece.</span><span></span>
<span></span>
<span>"The Turks invaded, occupied, and settled a part of the island beginning in 1974."</span>
<span></span>
<span>In response to the 1974 coup detat, an attempt to annex the island to Greece.</span>
<span><span>"and gained independence in 1960"
ReplyDelete</span>
<span>Which was only achieved after both Greek and Turkish Cypriots agreed to abandon plans for union with Greece.</span><span></span>
<span></span>
<span>"The Turks invaded, occupied, and settled a part of the island beginning in 1974."</span>
<span></span>
<span>In response to the 1974 coup detat, an attempt to annex the island to Greece.</span></span>
<span><span></span></span>
<span><span>This hardly qualifies as an example vza, it seems nothing like the racist brutality experienced by native peoples in history or the deplorable situation in Palestine today. </span></span>
<span></span>