Helen Thomas Gives Odd Behar Interview: The Israelis Aren't Semites

Helen Thomas appeared on Joy Behar's TV show last night to talk about her anti-Semitic comments from the summer telling the Jews to "get the hell out" of Palestine and "go home" to Germany and Poland. The interview was odd to say the least.

Not only did Thomas appear to double down on her comments (and blame others for "distorting" them), but she also put forth a confusing hypothesis about the Jews: if they come from outside Israel, they're not "Semites." Mediaite explains part of the interview:

Thomas told HLN’s Joy Behar Wednesday night “Hell no,” she doesn’t care what people think.

Behar asked if Thomas–having had time to reflect–could see anything insensitive in her remarks. Thomas said what she saw was an environment of hostility to anyone who criticizes Israel. “You say one thing about Israel and you’re off limits.”

Regrets? Only that “everybody misinterpreted it and distorted it…and I should’ve kept my mouth shut probably.”

To be clear, here is what Dictionary.com defines as a Semite:

Semite:

1. a member of any of various ancient and modern peoples originating in southwestern Asia, including the Akkadians, Canaanites, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Arabs.

2. a Jew.

3. a member of any of the peoples descended from Shem, the eldest son of Noah.

That would seem to include Jews born in Europe.

As a side note: it's not surprising that Thomas might double down and defend her remarks considering the video we featured earlier this week, in which Thomas suggests the U.S. is not on God's side when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.