"Then there is the assault on Venezuela's Jewish community -- which seems to have replaced George W. Bush as Mr.Chávez's favorite foil." If so that would indeed be horrifying - but on the evidence included in that piece it appears to overstate the case.

Denouncing what Israel's forces did in the Gaza episode is not in itself evidence of scapegoating of the Jewish community. Nothing Chavez is quoted as saying there appear to go as far as some Jewish critics of Israel's actions have done. (For example.) Nor should the actions and words of thugs, including police officers who happen to be thugs, be taken as firm evidence of a government stance.

Mr. Chávez denied responsibility; days later, the attorney general's office said that 11 people detained in connection with the attack included five police officers and a police intelligence operative. What might be significant is to see an update in due course about what happens to those people detained for attacking Jews.