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United States News Title: The Helen Thomas Backlash The Helen Thomas Backlash [Daniel Foster] Former Clinton attorney and White House spokesman Lanny Davis issued the following statement on White House correspondent Helen Thomas's incindiary remarks contra Israel. The statement is lightly edited for clarity: Helen Thomas, who I used to consider a close friend and who I used to respect, has showed herself to be an anti-Semitic bigot. This is not about her criticisms of Israel. She has a right to criticize Israel and that is not the same as being an anti-Semite. However, her 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. If she had asked all blacks to go back to Africa, what would the White House Correspondents Association position be as to whether she deserved White House press room credentials — much less a privileged honorary seat? Does anyone doubt that my friends Ann Compton, head of the WHCA, and Joe Lockhart, who believe in the First Amendment right of free expression as much as I do, would be as tolerant and protective of Helen's privileges and honors in the White House press room as they appear to be if she had been asking Blacks to return to Africa? Or Native Americans to Asia and South America, from which they came 8,000 or more years ago? I doubt it. Of course Helen has the right as a private citizen under the First Amendment to speak her mind, even as an anti-Jewish bigot — but not as a member, much less privileged member with a reserved seat, in the White House Press Corps. The Davis statement comes on the heels of the announcement by Thomas's booking agency, Nine Speakers Inc., that they are severing their relationship: "It is with a heavy heart that Nine Speakers, Inc. announces its resignation as the agent for Helen Thomas, Dean of the White House Press Corps. Ms. Thomas has had an esteemed career as a journalist, and she has been a trailblazer for women, helping others in her profession, and beyond. However, in light of recent events, Nine Speakers is no longer able to represent Ms. Thomas, nor can we condone her comments on the Middle East. Nine Speakers will continue to enthusiastically represent all of our other current and future clients." — Diane Nine UPDATE: Passed along by a reader, Thomas has also been uninvited from speaking a high school commencement: Journalist Helen Thomas was scheduled to be the graduation speaker at Walt Whitman High School later this month — until Sunday, when she was disinvited after comments that she made about Israel and Palestine made many in the community uncomfortable, Montgomery Board of Education President Patricia O'Neill said Sunday. "We became aware that there are some unfortunate comments from her that are airing on YouTube," O'Neill said. O'Neill said that especially given the large Jewish population at Whitman, the school was not comfortable with having Thomas speak at the graduation on June 14. A video of Thomas that says it was filmed at the White House on May 27 shows her telling Israelis "to get the hell out of Palestine... it's not German and it's not Poland." When asked where Israelis should go, she said, "Go home!... Poland, Germany... and America, and everywhere else." 06/06 10:51 PMShare
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