Long-time White House correspondent Helen Thomas reportedly said the following in a rather, ahem... candid moment:
Q: Any comments on Israel?
HT: Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine. Remember, these people are occupied and it's their land. It's not German, it's not Polish.
Q: So where should they go, what should they do?
HT: Go home.
Q: Where is the home?
HT: Poland. Germany.
Q: So you're saying Jews go back to Poland, Germany?
HT: And America and everywhere else.
She then issued an apology on her website:
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 mutual respect and tolerance. May that day come soon.
It is bad form to tell immigrants to "go back" to wherever they came from. Jewish people and Germany. Blacks and Africa. Mexicans and Mexico. Native Americans and....oh.
Whatever your opinion on Israel and/or any other nation, people are where they are. The human race moves around. For whatever reason, we move. Therefore, looking back and saying this group of folks belongs here and that group belongs there is ignorant and silly. That being said, I believe all of us have made statements we have later, upon reflection, come to regret. I believe we should be charitable towards people, generally, when they say things that are ridiculous. Especially when they are elderly folk. It was how I was raised. After you've put in a lifetime of work and family rearing, I think it's okay to become shall we say... blunt about your opinions.
What is interesting is that right-wingers are already calling for Thomas to be fired. I'd never expect them, of all people, to be the ones up in arms over telling people to go back where they come from.