Abraham H. Foxman, ADL national director, issued the following statement:

Helen Thomas’s statement of regret does not go far enough. Her remarks were outrageous, offensive and inappropriate, especially since she uttered them on a day the White House had set aside to celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of American Jews during Jewish America Heritage Month.

Her suggestion that Israelis should go back to Poland and Germany is bigoted and shows a profound ignorance of history. We believe Thomas needs to make a more forceful and sincere apology for the pain her remarks have caused.

We’ll see if the White House is willing to endure yet another controversy by continuing to host a bigot who uses her perch in the briefing room to spout her venom. It is pathetic that the press corps does not police itself. They’re very fond of calling on business and government to do that but atrocious at doing it themselves. Let’s hope neither Hearst nor the White House has the stomach for this and gives Thomas the boot.