The Society of Professional Journalists Executive Committee voted on Saturday, Jan..8 to recommend removing its Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award, however, the recommendation must be looked over by SPJ’s full board before being approved. A final decision is expected to be announced in 10 days.

The full board includes the group’s board of directors.

“This is a complex issue, and the executive committee considered comments and letters from both sides. Because of the importance of this decision, it is appropriate to put this before the full board,” SPJ President Hagit Limor said in a news release.

The group said that while it respects Helen Thomas’ right to speak her opinion, it regards her remarks as inappropriate and offensive. The committee accepted recommendations from both sides of the controversy via letters and emails. It believes both sides have merit, but the best way to distance itself from the controversy is to pull the award.

“Let’s work on what unites us rather than what divides us,” Limor said.

The award was initially given in 2000. The SPJ says the final decision will not impact recipients of the award or future honorees.

The SPJ is reconsidering the award because of the remarks Thomas made at a diversity workshop in Dearborn on Dec. 2. During her speech at the conference Thomas said, “…Congress, the White House and Hollywood, Wall Street are owned by Zionists. No question in my opinion…” As a result, her alma mater Wayne State University pulled its annual Helen Thomas Spirit of Diversity Award the next day.

Thomas, a legendary White House correspondent and former Hearst Newspaper columnist who covered every presidential administration in the United States from Dwight Eisenhower to John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama also stirred up controversy last May during a Jewish American Heritage Month celebration at the White House. During the event, a rabbi asked Thomas, “Any comments on Israel?” to which Thomas replied, “Tell them to get the hell out of Palestine.”

SPJ Director of Communications, Scott Leadingham said the group initially considered removing Thomas’ name from the award following her comments last summer.

Lloyd H. Weston, who graduated from Thomas’ alma mater WSU in 1964 with a degree in journalism and is a former reporter, editor, publisher and newspaper owner said, “The issue before you this week has nothing to do with anti-Semitism. It is not about Israel or Zionism. It is not about the Jews, the Palestinians or the Arabs. It is not even about Helen Thomas. The only issue on your table today is whether SPJ stands for the unabridged right of any journalist-any American-to speak his or her opinion, on any subject, without fear of punishment or retribution from any government, individual, private or professional organization. To remove Helen Thomas’ name from the SPJ Lifetime Achievement Award, I believe would constitute such dire abridgement, punishment and retribution. Let’s face it, guys and gals, if SPJ can do it to Helen Thomas today, what’s going to stop some other society or government agency from doing it to someone else (or even to SPJ), next week, next month or next year? And, who would trust SPJ as a safe port in the storm should a similar controversy ever arise again? If the Society of Professional Journalists does not stand for unabridged Freedom of Speech-who will?”