He said very few details on the decision process were originally included in the brief statement that WSU released announcing the removal of Thomas’ award.

“I would issue a longer press release,” Gilmour said. WSU removed the award the day after Thomas said Zionists control the White House, Congress, Wall Street and Hollywood on Dec. 2 in Dearborn.

Gilmour says Thomas is not anti-Semitic, but some Jewish Americans would regard her comments as such.

“I’m not Jewish…(but) it is clear Jews do,” he said after being asked whether the comments were anti-Semitic. 

Some Arab Americans may perceive the term Zionists differently than Jewish Americans according to Gilmour. “It’s how the recipient gets it,” he said.

Representatives from the Congress of Arab American Organizations (CAAO) met with WSU officials shortly after the award was pulled. In the meeting, CAAO representatives were told WSU would try to compensate Arab Americans and other stakeholders for removing the award. Gilmour says WSU plans on forming a task force or an academic setting that promotes a better understanding of the Middle East. He says WSU officials don’t want to rush into finding an appropriate way to respond to those who have expressed concern over the decision.   

At the end of the meeting, Middle Eastern Law Students Association President Amir Makled, Michigan Round Table for Diversity and Inclusion President Thomas Costello, Michael Bsharah of Bsharah Public Relations and Siham Awada Jaafar, host of Community Connection, a weekly television program broadcast over Comcast Cable, all made four-minute speeches to WSU officials focused on persuading them to reinstate the award.

Costello told the president’s cabinet and WSU’s Board of Governors that his organization is willing to put a group together in order to open a discussion that encourages the views of both sides of the controversy.

He says students, alumni, donors, WSU faculty and others would also be allowed to engage in the dialogue.

“The Michigan Roundtable is willing to seek the thoughts of donors, alumni, faculty, students…” he said.

Gilmour said he’s not certain of whether WSU officials would consider the idea. 

Jaafar said she spoke with Thomas earlier today and received a statement from the journalistic icon.  She presented it to Gilmour, but it wasn’t read at the meeting due to a time shortage. Jaafer read a statement sent by WSU alumni Lloyd Weston, who graduated in 1964 with a degree in journalism and is a former reporter, editor and newspaper owner.

In the address, Weston attempted to encourage WSU officials to reverse its decision. Weston also wrote a letter to the full board of the Society of Professional Journalists, which recently pulled the Helen Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award in the wake of the controversy.

Weston defended Thomas’ right to express her opinion. “I will defend as long as I live her right to express them,” the letter read. 

Weston has also has published op-eds in The Arab American News in support of Thomas.

Bsharah says the action demonstrates a double-standard that not all journalists can express certain views.  

“Please do revisit this issue, if not for her, for American values, ” Makled said.