The rabbi whose video led to the resignation of a veteran Washington reporter has been facing death threats.

Rabbi David Nesenoff filmed Helen Thomas commenting that all Jews should “get the hell out of Palestine” at a White House Jewish Heritage event in May. She also said Jews in Israel should "go back home to Poland, Germany, America and everywhere else."

The 89-year-old journalist has since announced her retirement, with President Barack Obama calling her departure the right decision. But Rabbi Nesenoff said he had been facing a barrage of emails threatening him and his family since the footage emerged.

He told US television channel Fox News that he had received thousands of hate letters in the wake of the scandal.

Rabbi Nesenoff, from Long Island in New York, said: "We got one specific one saying, 'We're going to kill the Jews; watch your back’.

"This is something that I thought was a couple of people here or there, [but] it's mainstream and it's frightening.

He said he had been sent many congratulatory letters but added: “This is just a little cherry on top of this huge, huge sundae of hate in America."

In a statement Ms Thomas said she regretted her comments.