CM, you need to understand the phenomenon that I call National PTSD that the Jewish nation suffers from. The Jews have had a pretty hard history, with death and destruction at the hands of other nations virtually every generation. America is one of the first times in our history that the local population and/or the local government is not trying to persecute or destroy us.
That leads to the PTSD symptoms, especially in those from the more insular communities.
The symptoms include being highly suspicious of outsiders, the cries of anti-semitism, overlooking certain crimes rather than turn a coreligionist in to secular authorities, the laws and customs that are intended to keep the tribe together. We're taught from a young age about the history of destruction and have A day every year dedicated to sitting on the floor and reading stories about the various instances. You can imagine how difficult it is for someone to step out from that and be open minded about the fact that someone may be well intended and in fact a good person even if they criticize A segment of the Jewish people.
