I think there is also a political dynamic in the US, where the inconsistencies in moderate politics have to be resolved one way or another, and people resolve t

I think there is also a political dynamic in the US, where the inconsistencies in moderate politics have to be resolved one way or another, and people resolve them by choosing extreme views. By inconsistencies, I mean that anyone who is moderately left-wing with regard to Israel, will be called a crazy anti-semite (as Rand Paul is) unless they are to the far left on domestic politics. Similarly anyone who is on the moderate right on domestic politics is expected to be far right with regard to Israel and the Middle East. Anyone with moderate, consistent views would be called anti-Semitic by the right, and racist by the left.