This Week in power: Facebook, J Street, Palin, Jimmy Carter

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

Facebook removes uprising page
On Tuesday, ” title=”http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/03/30/2011-03-30_antisocial_network.html” target=”_blank”>said a New York Daily News editorial. “They remind, too, that fanatics looking to find like-minded villains” can find a community online. “We applaud Facebook’s ability to acknowledge when a line has been crossed; we’d support the same action for a page inciting violence against Palestinians, or anyone,” ” title=”http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/facebook-backpedals-removes-third-palestinian-intifada-page-against-israel/1049″ target=”_blank”>warned Emil Protalinski at ZDNet. “It looks to me like it has chopped off the snake’s head, although the body is still writhing.”

J Street’s agenda in Israel
The topic of whether J Street is anti-Israel came up at the Knesset last week, amid ” title=”http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/03/israels_knesset_debate_and_j_s.html” target=”_blank”>said Matthew RJ Brodsky and Samara Greenberg at American Thinker, and J Street repeatedly shows its support for Israeli’s antagonists. “Now is not the time for Israel to push away its friends and family,” ” title=”http://nationalinterest.org/blog/jacob-heilbrunn/j-street-anti-israel-5065″ target=”_blank”>said Jacob Heilbrunn at The National Interest. After all, ” title=”http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/03/24/did-palin-zone-out-on-obama-and-israel-nope/” target=”_blank”>said Jonathan S. Tobin at Commentary, this was considered an early step toward a presidential run. Admittedly, she made a blunder when she called the debate over settlements a “zoning issue” – “it is an existential question that goes to the very heart of whether or not there ought to be a Jewish state no matter where its borders might be drawn,” said Tobin. But attacks were “a bit overblown.” She showed some courage, too, because she is “the only politician, in either party, who has been prepared to speak up for the right of Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria,” ” title=”http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/4427/palin%27s_israel_trip/” target=”_blank”>said Sarah Posner at Religious Dispatches. Palin is “far more comfortable with an evangelical approach” and “like many of her co-religionists, the Jews are adorable pawns in God’s plan.” That’s more in keeping with her own faith.

Hispanic-Jewish conference
In Texas, a two-day event titled “Bridges & Pathways” brought together local and national leaders from both Jewish and Hispanic groups to discuss the topics of immigration, education, the state of Israel, and more, ” title=”http://blog.mysanantonio.com/religion/2011/03/diversity-reflected-in-jewish-hispanic-partnership/” target=”_blank”>said the story’s writer. How was the conference received? “One thing is clear: with Latinos poised to play a powerful role in American politics and culture, every other group — including the Jewish community — is looking for Latino partners,” ” title=”http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial_opinion/editorial/latino_jewish_challenge” target=”_blank”>said a Jewish Week editorial. These “alliances around domestic issues” will foster good will to help “the cause of protecting the critical U.S.-Israel relationship” down the line.

Jimmy Carter in Cuba
President Jimmy Carter ” title=”http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2011/0330/Cuba-What-Jimmy-Carter-and-Calvin-Coolidge-have-in-common” target=”_blank”>only the second president to visit Cuba since 1928 – and served the purpose of promoting improved relations between the countries. Even ” title=”http://blog.heritage.org/2011/03/29/jimmy-carters-ill-timed-visit-to-cuba/” target=”_blank”>warned Ray Walser at The Heritage Foundation. But with an American in prison there, that takes a backseat. “I hope Gross gets out, by whatever means,”