Editorial: Thank you Ms. Thomas

Issue of June 11, 2010/ 29 Sivan 5770

We’ve been called anti-Semitic too — and anti-Israel, pro-Arab, liberal and even a number of choice, unprintable words. (The most recent such episode was actually at Cedarhurst Park a few weeks ago; he knows who he is and ought to watch his potty mouth around his young grandchildren, but that was about a different subject and we digress.)

Having spent many years working in the secular news media such ‘feedback’ was probably unavoidable. Backstage at the news, however, what we learned to be true was that a respectable percentage of perceived anti-Semitism and anti-Israel media bias is simply ignorance, at worst. Ignorance is not an excuse for anything, of course, but it also doesn’t necessarily make one a bigot. And all too often — again, speaking from our perch on the inside — perceived bias was just that: perceived, sometimes by the overly sensitive.

But that’s only some of the time. In our experience someone who would argue that all media is biased against Israel and the Jews would be wrong and unfair, but someone who takes the position that all the bias is in our head would be equally incorrect (not to mention, delusional). There’s definitely anti-Israel bias to be found in the news media, and even some straight-on anti-Semitism, although that is usually hidden pretty well.

Most of the time the bias manifests itself in news reportage. For every Pat Buchanan or the late, unlamented Robert Novack, a convert to Christianity — mainstream commentators who clearly telegraph antipathy toward Israel and Jews — there are many more reporters who hide behind even-handedness to make their feelings known. There’s even-handed, of course, and then there’s bend-over-backward ‘fair’ and ‘objective’ to the point of chiropractic emergency. The passengers on the Mavi Marmara were humanitarians simply because they said they were, for instance. On the other hand, Israeli statements were “claims.”

There is a well-known morning television personality who doesn’t like Jews very much. Her body language and frozen face gave away her secret many years ago during a casual introduction by a mutual acquaintance. But we’d be surprised to learn that she had shared her feelings openly on camera. The body language might still give her away, if you’re paying attention, but nothing overt.

And then there’s Helen Thomas, new retiree.

Any claims toward objectivity this famed reporter might have made were blown away by an impromtu on-camera interview she gave to a video-blogging rabbi from Long Island. In the video, a seemingly innocent question was answered with a vicious tirade.

At age 89, Helen Thomas is one of those reporters, more recently a commentator, whose objectivity on the subject of Israel has long been questioned. Having covered 10 presidential administrations, she has had ample opportunity over the years to stick her knife into the Jewish state in countless page one stories filed for United Press International and, more recently, for Hearst.

Her story — the one she starred in — is really a useful one. It shined a spotlight on attitudes about Jews that seem to be gaining traction and allowed an equally public response to them.

Thanks, Helen.