It would appear that antisemitism isn’t as widely accepted as Helen Thomas would fancy, at least not in the United States. In the past 24 hours she has lost her agent, been widely condemned from both the left and right, and been disinvited from a high school commencement address. That last one is the latest:
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 system was not comfortable with having Thomas speak at the graduation on June 14.
The original video upload — posted on June 3rd — has already accumulated 1,031,215 views. Other uploads of the same video have accumulated between hundreds and tens of thousands of views. Needless to say, the video has gone viral. And deservedly so.
Thomas is credentialed by Hearst and sits in the front row in the White House briefing room. Every day, an antisemitic and anti-Israeli voice sits just feet away from the podium, demanding answers from the Press Secretary as to why the United States supports Israel. She’s the only reporter with a chair designed in her name.
Meanwhile, more professional and credible correspondents sit in her shadow. They sit in the shadow of an antisemite in the White House briefing room. If Hearst had any shame, the company would pull her credentials and send her home.


by Stephan Tawney on June 7, 2010