Helen Thomas Retires Effective Immediately

[Helen Reyes]

I'll think about it some more, Mark. I think your point is very good, that the people there, surrounding the issue at the time, have a viewpoint we have to exert effort to recreate. From what I can tell we basically agree on the modern state of Israel in its present incarnation. Helen Thomas is also someone who was there at that time and her perspective was rejected out of hand and a little too easily.

On the other hand, was there an alternative scenario available? Was there a way for Arabs and Jews to live in the same area in peace? Was there a possibility to creat a Jewish state in Europe, before or after WWII?

Not that the answers to those questions can in any way serve to pardon or justify crimes against humanity and crimes against peace committed by an inner core of the Netanyahu regime in recent days.

PS It's intereting that Truman subverted the UN plan by recognising Ben-Gurion's UDI, just as the UN was getting started as an international forum, under the auspices of the US and the other victors of WWII. Of course the "United Nations" was the name of the military alliance in WWII that defeated the Axis powers, including the Big Three but many others, such as free China. It was founded as a military organisation and became the post-war League of Nations. And just as the US sabotaged the LoN, so did they ruin the UN at its inception. Any thoughts on that?