We Think it’s Important to Stand by Helen Thomas

Veteran Journalist -- Helen Thomas

We also think this is an opportunity to reach Americans whose curiosity is now piqued by all the controversy

Veteran journalist Helen Thomas is under attack again. The ADL took away her job; now it wants to take away her honorary degrees. Let’s turn the tables on them!

ADL Director Abe Foxman recently called the 90-year old former senior White House correspondent a “vulgar anti-Semite,” referred to her comments as “crude,” and called on schools and professional organizations that have honored Thomas over the years to rescind those honors.

Shortly afterward Thomas’s alma mater, Wayne State University, announced that it will no longer give out the “Helen Thomas Spirit of Diversity in the Media Award.” Others are expected to follow suit.

The attacks on Thomas began in June when a rabbi posted a Youtube video of Thomas taken without her knowledge, followed by sensationalized and inaccurate media reports pushed by former Bush White House PR director Ari Fleischer, an Israel partisan unhappy with Thomas’s tough questions.

The media assault was eagerly taken up by journalists happy to kick a reporter whose integrity and competence surpassed their own once she was down and easy prey. Many, perhaps most, were Israel partisans.

We think it’s important to stand by Helen Thomas. We also think this is an opportunity to reach Americans whose curiosity is now piqued by all the controversy.

NO CRITICISM OF ISRAEL IS ALLOWED IN AMERICA

Therefore, we have created a hand-out for people (see below) to distribute on campuses and in communities around the country. This brochure explains the validity of Thomas’s videotaped remarks and gives the powerful context about Palestine omitted by mainstream media accounts – the transformative facts that the ADL does not want Americans to know.
Several years ago If Americans Knew received a death threat. Instead of intimidating us, this caused us to work even harder and become ever more effective.
We can now all do the same with Helen Thomas. We can show the ADL that rather than destroying her and intimidating others, their attacks have provided a platform whereby even more Americans are learning the facts!
Because a generous, committed donor is subsidizing this project, we are making these available at a cost anyone can afford – just a nickel apiece! We are providing them in batches of 10, and hope that most people will order 50 or above!
The idea is to give these out as widely as possible – on campuses, at events, in libraries and cafes. Give them to colleagues and neighbors, at book discussion groups and World Affairs Councils.
Together, we can stand by Helen Thomas and give Americans the truth.
The If Americans Knew Team

While The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) claims that its purpose is to defend Jewish Americans from bigotry, in reality its activities frequently consist of attacking those who provide facts it dislikes, particularly information about Israel. We oppose bigotry of all sorts and support the ADL’s alleged goal. We sincerely wish that it would be true to this worthy mission.