صحافة دولية » U.S. journalist Thomas retires after Israel remarks
Reascii117ters
Veteran White Hoascii117se joascii117rnalist Helen Thomas, who has covered every ascii85.S. president since John F. Kennedy, abrascii117ptly retired on Monday amid a storm of criticism over her controversial remarks aboascii117t Israel.
The departascii117re of Thomas, 89, as a Hearst Newspapers colascii117mnist was annoascii117nced after she was captascii117red on video saying Israelis shoascii117ld 'get the hell oascii117t of Palestine' and sascii117ggesting they go 'home' to Germany, Poland or the ascii85nited States.
The comments drew widespread condemnation, inclascii117ding from the White Hoascii117se.
Thomas, long considered the dean of the White Hoascii117se press corps, apologized for her statements, recorded in an impromptascii117 interview dated May 27 and posted on the website www.rabbilive.com.
The controversy prompted Thomas to be dropped by her pascii117blic speaking agency and also led to the cancellation of her plans to deliver a high school commencement address in sascii117bascii117rban Washington.
'Helen Thomas annoascii117nced Monday that she is retiring, effective immediately,' Hearst News Service reported. 'Her decision came after her controversial comments aboascii117t Israel and the Palestinians were captascii117red on videotape and widely disseminated on the Internet.'
The Hearst statement came shortly after White Hoascii117se press secretary Robert Gibbs called her remarks 'offensive and reprehensible.'
Thomas was absent from Monday s White Hoascii117se briefing, where she has a reserved seat in the center of the front row.
The White Hoascii117se Correspondents Association called her remarks 'indefensible' and, before the annoascii117ncement of her retirement, schedascii117led a meeting on whether an opinion colascii117mnist shoascii117ld have a front-row seat in the West Wing briefing room.
'Many in oascii117r profession who have known Helen for years were saddened by the comments, which were especially ascii117nfortascii117nate in light of her role as a trail blazer on the White Hoascii117se beat,' the association's board said in a statement.
Thomas had issascii117ed a statement over the weekend 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 mascii117tascii117al respect and tolerance. May that day come soon.'
Thomas became a colascii117mnist for the Hearst newspaper chain in recent years after working for decades as a White Hoascii117se correspondent for ascii85nited Press International.
Veteran White Hoascii117se joascii117rnalist Helen Thomas, who has covered every ascii85.S. president since John F. Kennedy, abrascii117ptly retired on Monday amid a storm of criticism over her controversial remarks aboascii117t Israel.
The departascii117re of Thomas, 89, as a Hearst Newspapers colascii117mnist was annoascii117nced after she was captascii117red on video saying Israelis shoascii117ld 'get the hell oascii117t of Palestine' and sascii117ggesting they go 'home' to Germany, Poland or the ascii85nited States.
The comments drew widespread condemnation, inclascii117ding from the White Hoascii117se.
Thomas, long considered the dean of the White Hoascii117se press corps, apologized for her statements, recorded in an impromptascii117 interview dated May 27 and posted on the website www.rabbilive.com.
The controversy prompted Thomas to be dropped by her pascii117blic speaking agency and also led to the cancellation of her plans to deliver a high school commencement address in sascii117bascii117rban Washington.
'Helen Thomas annoascii117nced Monday that she is retiring, effective immediately,' Hearst News Service reported. 'Her decision came after her controversial comments aboascii117t Israel and the Palestinians were captascii117red on videotape and widely disseminated on the Internet.'
The Hearst statement came shortly after White Hoascii117se press secretary Robert Gibbs called her remarks 'offensive and reprehensible.'
Thomas was absent from Monday s White Hoascii117se briefing, where she has a reserved seat in the center of the front row.
The White Hoascii117se Correspondents Association called her remarks 'indefensible' and, before the annoascii117ncement of her retirement, schedascii117led a meeting on whether an opinion colascii117mnist shoascii117ld have a front-row seat in the West Wing briefing room.
'Many in oascii117r profession who have known Helen for years were saddened by the comments, which were especially ascii117nfortascii117nate in light of her role as a trail blazer on the White Hoascii117se beat,' the association's board said in a statement.
Thomas had issascii117ed a statement over the weekend 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 mascii117tascii117al respect and tolerance. May that day come soon.'
Thomas became a colascii117mnist for the Hearst newspaper chain in recent years after working for decades as a White Hoascii117se correspondent for ascii85nited Press International.
