This week in power: AIPAC, Chavez, Ukraine bomb, Soccer protest

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

AIPAC conference
“From the second one arrives at the Washington Convention Center, the AIPAC spectacle is all-encompassing. From the anti-Israel demonstrators clustering around the entrance to the sparkling multi-screen plenaries in the main hall, there is a both a sense of showmanship and a sense that this is, for two days, the only show in town,” ” target=”_blank”>said Slate's Dave Weigel. Not everyone thought the conference covered for it. “There’s elephant in the room in this AIPAC conference, and this elephant is American policy in the region. In one session after another one hears criticism of American inaction, American hesitation, American lack of coherence,” ” target=”_blank”>said farewell to leader Hugo Chavez on Tuesday after he passed away at the age of 58. Chavez never explicitly threatened the Jews there, said reports, but he was known to be staunchly anti-Israel. “His one-man style, gleeful nationalizations and often harsh treatment of opponents,” ” target=”_blank”>quoted by JTA. “The Jewish community is obviously perceived as some sort of threat that warrants those actions.”

Ukraine bomb blast
President of the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress, Vadim Rabinovich, was the target of a bomb attack in Kiev recently, ” target=”_blank”>acquitted of fraud and embezzlement of roughly $450,000 by the Abdeen Court of Misdemeanors. After Weinstein was sentenced to three years in jail, she had her sentence overturned. An Egyptian businessman had accused Weinstein of stealing from him after he paid for a Jewish community property. Weinstein filed a countersuit arguing that the accusation was baseless.

Racist protest
The hatred in the stands at Israeli soccer games is only getting worse, by the looks of it. Hundreds of fans last weekend left the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team after the first goal was scored by a Muslim player. The match with Maccabi Netanya, which ended in a 1-1 tie, but it was Zaur Sadayev's goal that had people talking afterward. Most of the Beitar Jerusalem fans, however, remained in the stands for the duration of the game. “An obsession with racial purity … where have we heard that before?” ” target=”_blank”>added Tom Ley at Deadspin.