This week in power: Syria, Africans, Arquette, Sweden feed

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

Israel vs. Syria
Vice Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz ” title=”http://www.opednews.com/articles/U-S-Israeli-War-Against-S-by-Saman-Mohammadi-120612-413.html” target=”_blank”>said Saman Mohammadi at OpEd News. And, as the violence and disruption goes on overseas, there’s mounting pressure for the U.S. to do more. “Another day, another massacre. The reaction from Washington? Silence, or worse, more empty rhetoric,” ” title=”http://news.yahoo.com/israel-starts-rounding-africans-deportation-191107349.html” target=”_blank”>according to reports. A recent ” title=”http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jun/07/ruben-navarrette-jr-israels-immigration-debate/” target=”_blank”>said Ruben Navarrette Jr. at U-T San Diego. “One wishes that Israel could take the moral high ground on this issue—even at its own material expense—as an embodiment of its founding values,” ” title=”http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57449105-10391704/cdc-11-infants-contracted-herpes-due-to-controversial-jewish-circumcision-practice/” target=”_blank”>report revealed that over a decade’s time in New York 11 newborn males were infected by the herpes simplex virus during ritual circumcisions. One of them died. The “metzitzah b’peh” process has the mohel place his mouth directly on the newly circumcised penis to suck blood away from the wound. Haredi leaders have ” title=”http://gestetnerupdates.com/2012/06/08/beh-federal-gov-estimates-ten-strictly-orthodox-jewish-brisen-take-place-daily-in-nyc/” target=”_blank”>the whole controversy is overstated.

Arquette’s bar mitzvah
On a trip to Jereusalem, David Arquette ” title=”http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/962982/david-arquette-celebrates-late-bar-mitzvah” target=”_blank”>said a SheKnows writer. He deserves the time off. He just became a man.

Sweden’s social media gaffe
The country’s Twitter feed gets run by different Swedes, and that experiment ” title=”http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/06/12/official-swede-tweeter-whats-the-fuzz-with-jews/” target=”_blank”>said Bethany Mandel at Commentary. “Sweden needs education that explains antisemitism, its symbolism, the resulting demonization and its dehumanising effect,” ” title=”http://blog.chron.com/iconia/2012/06/5-reasons-why-sweden-is-good-for-the-jews/” target=”_blank”>warned Menachem Wecker at the Houston Chronicle: “Sweden has been much kinder than most to Jews.”