Some Thoughts to Consider on Helen Thomas & the Penalty for Criticising Israel

Thoughts on Helen Thomas

The other week we saw Israeli commandos board a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza while still in International waters. The end result was hundreds arrested and detained. Many were brutality beaten and 11 were shot dead. The world screamed in outrage as Israel went into spin mode and started having everyone from its ambassador on down to its de-facto pundits within mainstream media craft stories that suggested the people who were on board the ship where folks were killed, were attached to some sort of terrorist organization.

Actually, lemme back up a sec, cause that’s the latest spin. The initial spin was when the Israeli commandos boarded the ship they were facing an ‘armed militia’ which caused them to shoot. The only problem was no weapons were found. This led to Israel changing up again. This time they said they switched the story and said the folks on the ship came at them with metal pipes, rushed them and made them fearful for their lives hence 11 people had to be killed including an American citizen..

Now, I’m not no military expert, but since my tax dollars pay for many of the weapons and high-end training used by our good friend in the Middle East (Israel), I would venture to say, that those commandos knew exactly what was going on. If they didn’t then our money is being wasted. I find it hard to believe that an army with ‘superior’ intel capabilities and precision training stormed a ship and were caught off guard by these ‘humanitarian activists turned terrorists’. I find it hard to believe this uber trained military outfit didn’t have undercover operatives amongst the flotillas to convey information that would allow for a smoother take down..

If we use our common sense we’d note that many of the folks aboard the flotillas included nobel laureates, professors and seasoned peace activists. It seems pretty far-fetched to think they would be consorting with terrorists, knowing that it would kill their credibility in the court of world opinion in addition to putting them in danger. These humanitarian workers have been well aware of Israel’s military might and would not try to go against them. The flotilla people have long been and continued to act in the long tradition of civil disobedience. Part of that tradition means acting non-violently to maintain a moral high ground. To suggest these folks were doing otherwise, even if its the Israeli ambassador spouting the story is in insult to our intelligence. The bottom line is Israel messed up and has been in spin mode ever since..Part of their defense is to use allies and friends in media and government to come down hard on anyone speaking against them. Folks are quickly labeled anti-semitic and black-balled from influential circles if possible. In short Israel can do no wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlElXOJV4CA&feature=player_embedded

Such was the case with longtime White House correspondent Helen Thomas who was caught on tape responding to a question..’Do you have anything you would like to say to Israel’? Thomas responded ‘Yes-Get the Hell out of Palestine‘… She then noted that Palestine was occupied land. When pressed as to where they should go, Thomas retorted, They should go back home to Germany, Poland and the United States. The outcry against Thomas calling for her ouster was deafening with former Bush press secretary Ari Fleisher leading the charge and everyone from Obama’s press secretary Robert Gibbs to no-name schleprocks dragged up and placed on talk shows, joining the chorus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQcQdWBqt14

The amount of anger that was directed at Thomas was overkill. First and foremost her remarks have a political context which could and is debated. When I heard her remarks I immediately thought of the new Israeli settlements that have caused lots of uproar and been heavily criticized. If Israel as was stated by Ambassador Michael Oren will have peace when we have a two states, than Thomas wasn’t off base when she said ‘get out of Palestine’. Sure her blutness ruffled feathers, but really when you consider what folks like Minister Pat Roberston and actor Mel Gibson, the late Reverend Jerry Falwall and numerous others have said about Israel, Thomas’ remarks are no where in the ballpark. What really angered her detractors was her stature. She gives a boost to a POV that has long been silenced here in the US while vigoriously debated elsehwere including in Israel.

Seems like the Zionist lobby wanted to send a strong signal by being relentless with their shut down of Thomas. Don’t speak ill of Israel. Don’t oppose Israel and don’t you dare give credibility to any POV or argument Zionist find problematic. This has long been a tactic used especially when Israeli policy was dead wrong.i.e Their support of Apartheid, South Africa or in recent days the tactic Zionist supporters of Israel used to intimidate including threats to blacklist UC Berkeley student Senators who voted to divest student funds from Israel.

Real News Network CEO Paul Jay wrote an insighful essay folks should peep that addresses this issue called ‘In defense of Helen Thomas on Apologizing top Apologist’. We also had a discussion on the topic which I am also including…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0UVJ35L2EU

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Comments

  1. Alot of nonsense–90% of Jews are ashkenazies and the BS that Nazi used ovens–Please!
    Hitler’s Nazi party was funded and created on the deal–to send Polish Jews to Palestine.Problem arose when the Polish Jews infiltrated Germany. and locals Gentiles got pissed at the Polocks/Russians taking over

  2. Jackthesmilingblack says

    Jews, and this includes Israelis, need to ask themselves one basic question:
    “Why have we been so persecuted over the centuries?”
    Well, arriving in a country as penniless refugees and within three generations literally taking over and running the place. Particularly at the financial and political levels. That has to cause resentment. Don’t you think that might have something to do with the hostility that Jews are subjected to?

  3. I’m absolutely sickened by the two comments above me. geo1671 just sounds ridiculous, so I’ll ignore it, but Jackthesmilingblack’s attitude is really cause for alarm. Your ignorance and outright intolerance to the success of Jews is EXACTLY how the oppressors have thought for over a thousand years.
    Your racial jealously astounds me, and your resentful “rhetorical question” is ridiculous, as it is stupid. Instead of judging the success of people as, well, PEOPLE, you only know how to stereotype and class people by their race.
    You cannot defend one group of oppressed people by justifying and attempting to vindicate the oppression of another, and expect to be taken seriously.
    Anti-Semitism is alive and real, and these comments are further testament to this fact.

  4. You know, all of this commotion doesn’t promote dialog and that’s a shame…

    I liked this guy’s commentary, funny as hell but also smart and witty:

    http://www.entertainmedaily.com/2010/06/helen-thomas-deserves-a-punch-in-the-face-but-rabbi-david-nesenoff-should-be-kicked-in-the-balls/

    What do you guys think?

  5. Rex Carlson says

    http://www.henrymakow.com/concerning_mark_twains_concern.html

    May 2, 2010

    —> What is the Secret of Jewish Success? <—

    by Sam Peyo

    "In the oneness of allness, I am, in some degree or aspect, guilty of, or infected with, or suffering from, everything that I attack." (Charles Fort)

    The question of why Jews have been so efficient at amassing riches and controlling political and cultural life over the centuries is most fascinating. It has not been studied much due to the tremendous psychological/emotional barrier which has been erected to prevent any serious approach. This barrier is an impressive construction — more like the Chinese Wall than a mere taboo. In fact, it is sophisticated mind control.

    We are supposed to think ill feelings against Jews are simply envy of their alleged superior intellects. Jews are stereotyped by every writer and movie director as impecunious, humble, warm-hearted, peace-loving, gifted people who value their roots and are persecuted worldwide for no clear reason or automatically used as scapegoats every time a country faces a crisis.

    Any inquiry into the real socioeconomic situation of Jews now, during and before the two world wars causes an instant malaise in non-Jewish conversation partners. The discomfort manifests physically through trembling, stomach uneasiness, nervous breathing and sweating, so it must involve deep emotional conditioning. The response is a combination of fear, incredulity, scoffing, aggression and name-calling. The person raising the issue will be branded as a nazi sympathizer forever ("forever" because of the emotional level at which the experience is had). If you persist with your inquiry, you may be subjected to systematic defamation and unwinnable legal battles.

    MOUNTING THE PARAPETS

    I cannot prove that Jewish success is not due to genetic, ethnic or hereditary factors. But, if we look at how racially heterogeneous the Jewish people have become — Jews hardly agree on what constitutes Jewishness anymore — it is hard to believe their success is primarily in the genes.

    Some historical and cultural circumstances might give a better clue:

    Whether Jews read the Talmud or not (modern people greatly underestimate the importance of oral transmission), the notion that non-Jews are ontologically inferior to Jews is ingrained to the point of being "instinctive" among Jews (religious and agnostic alike) and, surprisingly, even among non-Jews who ought to be unimpressed by such a claim. Nevertheless, people who in these days flatter themselves with even remote and dubious Jewish ancestry (whatever that means in racial terms) very quickly adopt the chosen-people attitude.

    Be that as it may, unrelenting ambition (combined with social discretion),perseverance at work, frequent ethical and moral disregard for the lot of non-Jews, centuries-long investment in "white-collar" trades (with usury and banking in first place), and — very importantly — a zealously guarded transnational network dating from long before the idea occurred to non-Jewish populations, go a long way to explain the current state of affairs.

    PROMOTING SOCIAL DISSOLUTION

    Maybe there is more to it. Maybe something else is needed to explain why post-Diaspora Jews have so often been accused of promoting social dissolution, sedition, subversion and attacks on traditional institutions. Scholars have pointed to something called "deviant nomadism": having temporarily become a sedentary people in Palestine, the Jews were expelled and forced to resume their wandering, only this time not like traditional nomads — performing strictly cyclical movements — but randomly, erratically. An interesting point, or maybe just nonsense.

    If it were not for the ominous fortresses on the "Jewish Wall", it would also be interesting to make an impartial assessment of how much of American culture is actually "Jewish" culture: comedy, theatre, cinema, music, literature and so forth. Many non-Jews find themselves wondering: why are the best violinists, comedians, physicists, novelists and actors apparently Jewish? I think long-time control of media outlets and banking has given talented Jews greater access to publication, academia and politics. Or is it the other way around? Do successful people make up obscure Jewish foremothers overnight simply to follow suit?

    There is no easy way the general public can tell whether Jewish performers and intellectuals are really more talented than non-Jewish artists who may have lacked the right connections and opportunities or had too many scruples to make the necessary sacrifice of conscience or who may have been robbed of their ideas and self-confidence (sometimes through blackmail).

    For example, Anglo-Saxon people have historically been amazingly inventive in music, science and technology, among other areas, but to the public their respective fields are usually identified with some some Jewish icon, like Einstein, Bernstein, Friedman or Kafka.

    GOYIM INVESTED IN THEIR OWN DEMISE

    In any case, as always, there are two sides to the question of the anti-traditional influence Jews appear to exercise in the world. Are Jews guilty of sponsoring decadent cultural productions, of promoting atheistic world views and ideologies, of subverting society and family? If they are, then there must be a hundred million non-Jews on the other side who are enthusiastically absorbing these productions, ideologies and new behaviors.

    Why do we welcome messages of evolutionism, egalitarianism, atheism, feminism, lasciviousness, mockery, materialism and nihilism with such ravenous appetite and then complain about the people peddling them?

  6. Betazoids says

    All I know is about 3,000 years ago all the Hebrews where a dark skinned curly headed people like the modern Somalia’s; then the Romans conquered included lands to the north and refugees came from central Europe. The Romans didn’t care as long as they remained within the tax zone. They adapted the customs of the original Hebrews, they became the Pharisees and largely the Sedduces. The Romans weren’t racist in our terms they would make a slave out of anybody, but the fair skins where given a higher rung on the pecking order, and organized the tax collecting. By the time Jesus came looking like a traditional Hebrew, they said who this nigga. We don’t want him.

    For those who doubt this, when is the last time you saw a full blooded native American in the United States. I think like 500 years ago this land was all them. Demographic shifts occur all the time. Ask the Mexicans.

    After the Christ debacle the original Hebrews migrated out of the Roman tax zone, down to Ethiopia and further points south, even to Western Africa.

    History would have it arabs defeated the new Jews after the Roman days where done and then racial assimilated. Giving the entire population an arab look. Then history would have it after world war two, central Europeans that had originally learned the culture during the first migration from those bringing it back home; were given rights to Israel; and once again whitened the look.

    My view isn’t anti anything. Its a matter of fact. I think the Creator for these days coming days of revelations which will bring proof. I think the survival of Israel will come down to them accepting true history.

    Bow down.

  7. Tom Dennen says

    What’s scary is not so much who was involved in the attack, but the extent of it; its immediacy and velocity, the coherency and lock step coordination indicates to me that a very quick decision was made somewhere by a lot of people who are watching for any little slip by ‘the enemy’ (anti-Semites) who can make “GO TO PLAN ‘A’ NOW!” work fast in the US media.

  8. e-scribblah says

    i think we need to separate the term Jew, meaning people of the Jewish faith and historical descendants of Hebrews, from the term Israel, meaning a Jewish state in the Middle East created by Britain and the United States in 1948. they are not synonymous terms, and often confuse any political debate over Israel and Palestine.

    as for Helen Thomas, i have to say i think she knew what she was doing. She was 90 years old, had seen more BS in Washington DC than most people can dream about, and wanted to go out with a bang. So she chose to make a statement stating how she really felt, which most Washington correspondents never get to do.

    the fact is the US government bends over pretty far to Israel’s side in the Palestine issue and has not taken an even-handed approach thusfar.

    it would be nice to have constructive dialogue on this issue, but realistically, that’s just not going to happen. We do need to point out Israel’s egregious tactics, just to level the playing field. But that shouldnt be considered an act of anti-Semitism; anti-Semitism has nothing to do with it. this issue is really about human rights, humanitarianism, and an overzealous military action against a peaceful aid mission.

  9. If you speak out against war, you are not a patriot,
    if you speak out against Israel, you are an Anti-Semite,
    if you speak out against poverty, you are a socialist
    if you speak out against inequality, injustice, human rights abuses, pollution, destruction, resource depletion, tax evasion, corporate thievery, hypocrisy, corruption, you are a terrorist or worse you are irrelevant because no one in the so-called “liberal press” wants to hear about you or your ranting and raving about losing the country to the CEOs!

  10. @Betazoids, e-scribblah

    Good points!

  11. Jackthesmilingblack says

    Truth hurts, huh?

  12. Jackthesmilingblack says

    Don’t blame me, Teddy. Blame the Vatican. The RC church has been preaching anti-Semitism from the pulpit for the best part of 1,000 years, only stopping in 1964. Every Easter, saying the Jews killed God in the body of Jesus Christ.

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  1. […] Some Thoughts to Consider on Helen Thomas & the Penalty for Criticising Israel « Davey D’s Hi…. June 10th, 2010 | Category: Uncategorized | Comments are closed […]

  2. […] 06-Helen Thomas vs Israel… She was considered the dean of the White House Press Corps..90 year old Helen Thomas was legendary. She sat in the front row and always asked sharp, pointed questions to more presidents than any other reported. She was beloved by all the Presidents she took on until this video came out. […]