Thomas. Spoke out and then forced to retire
Photo: AP
Rabbi threatened for revealing Thomas' face
David Nesenoff films White House correspondent calling for Israelis 'to get hell out of Palestine,' which led to end of her 60-year career. Now, previously unknown rabbi has become target for thousands of pieces of hate mail, including death threats to him and his family
WASHINGTON – Despite condemnation from Washington over the senior White House reporter's calls for Israelis "to get the hell out of Palestine and return to Germany and Poland," other voices are now being heard following her resignation.
Fox News reported that Rabbi David Nesenoff, who filmed the footage of Thomas making the ignominious statements, has received thousands of pieces of hate mail, including death threats on him and his family.
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Lebanese group stands by disgraced White House correspondent; praises criticism of 'racist' Israel
Nesenoff filed a complaint with the police that ever since the footage was published and the affair broke, which concluded with public figures and the media showing scorn towards Thomas, he has received thousands of emails from Thomas' supporters. Some of the messages called for another Holocaust and the murder of Nesenoff and his family.
"We are going to kill the Jews. Watch your back," wrote one of them.
Simultaneously, the quest for an interview with Helen Thomas continues. She in the meantime is refusing to be interviewed, but some people are not keen on waiting. The magazine Voice published an interview with Thomas held in March that has yet to be released. Now, after the explosive affair, the interview was taken out of the editor's drawer and quickly posted on the magazine's website.
Israel, of course, is a central focal point in the interview with Thomas, daughter of Lebanese immigrants. She was asked if she is pro-Arab because of her Lebanese background. She responded that her background most certainly makes her pro-Arab because she knows more about the situation. She proceeded to ask if the same is not true for Zionists.
She also said, when asked, that Obama has not changed US policy towards Israel, calling the administration's insult to the construction Ramat Shlomo during Vice President Biden's visit was a façade, but she does not see this continuing.
Thomas also said she does not believe that Obama will be able to continue pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She noted that she has seen moments like this in the past when there was a true rift between Israel and the US, especially under Bush Sr. She said that the presence of Dennis Ross in the White House will ensure that the Israel lobby is represented.
Thomas said during the interview that she has asked Obama if he is aware of any Middle Eastern state that is in possession of nuclear weapons, but received a vague answer.
