Helen Thomas, the dean of White House reporters, announced Monday that she is retiring at the age of 89, after coming under fire for saying that Israelis should "get the hell out of Palestine" and "go home" to Germany and Poland. Her remarks were captured on a video posted on the internet last week, after which speaking engagements were cancelled and she was criticized by colleagues and former White House officials despite an apology.
Hearst News Service, which has employed Thomas as a columnist for the past decade, issued a statement announcing that her retirement is effective immediately. She had been on the White House beat for 50 years.