White House press legend quits over Israel comments

Helen Thomas, the veteran White House correspondent who grilled and often exasperated 10 presidents, has quit abruptly in a storm over “reprehensible” remarks about Israel.

Ms Thomas, 89, who made her name as a bulldog for United Press International and was a pioneer for women in journalism, retired as a columnist for Hearst News Service yesterday after saying Israelis should “get the hell out of Palestine”.