This week in power: Romney, Gay marriage, Texas crosses, Poland soccer

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Romney’s religion
Should candidate Mitt Romney’s Mormon beliefs matter in the election? ” title=”http://hypervocal.com/news/2012/romney-andrea-saul/#” target=”_blank”>said HyperVocal’s Scott Mackey. “The reality is that the more you talk about the details of somebody’s religion,” former VP candidate ” title=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mitt-romneys-faith-is-his-business/2012/06/04/gJQAdpGMEV_story.html” target=”_blank”>The Washington Post’s Richard Cohen weighed in: “Is Mitt Romney’s Mormonism fair game? Only if it’s held to the same standards and undergoes the same scrutiny as any other religion. Otherwise, this is a very slippery slope.”

Conservative Movement’s approval
“Delightful news from God’s Chosen People: leaders of the Jewish Conservative Movement have unanimously approved marriage equality,” ” title=”http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/more-on-conservative-judaism-gay-marriage/” target=”_blank”>said Rod Dreher at The American Conservative. For better or for worse.

Security selection
Some people are up in arms over news that Israeli security agents are asking select Arab-looking travelers to log into their email accounts so that security can take a look, ” title=”http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2012/06/05/best-to-keep-two-sets-of-e-mail-accounts-when-traveling-to-israel/” target=”_blank”>unclear how long these security checks have gone on or how many people have been screened in such a way. “The account details highly abusive treatment of Americans by a country that still receives billions in aid from the United States. That money comes from all of our citizens, including those with Arab backgrounds. If this account is true, there should be a public demand for answers from the State Department, but there has been total silence from the Obama Administration. The silence is as disturbing as the allegation, in my view,” ” title=”http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/us/crosses-are-gone-but-clash-lives-on-at-texas-am-san-antonio.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all” target=”_blank”>said Bradford, who is Jewish. This case is a bit complicated, and ” title=”http://austinist.com/2012/06/05/cross_controversy_at_texas_am_unive.php” target=”_blank”>said an Austinist writer.

Soccer sparks old resentment
The entire German national soccer team was supposed to visit the site where the Auschwitz concentration camp stood, but ” title=”http://www.haaretz.com/fear-of-anti-semitism-in-poland-ahead-of-european-football-championships-1.433723″ target=”_blank”>already an issue on people’s minds ahead of the UEFA Euro 2012, set to begin in Poland and Ukraine on June 8, “It is a fact as sad as a paradox of history: Celtic crosses, Nazi symbols and White Power banners proudly wave over soccer stadiums in Poland where the Nazis murdered two million Poles and half a million Ukrainians,” ” title=”http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/06/the-misguided-plan-to-fix-racist-soccer-cultures-with-more-soccer/257954/” target=”_blank”>said Heather Horn at The Atlantic. One can only hope.