(A column of opinion by Gary Reid, Publisher Emeritus)

Why has the tiny nation of Israel, hardly bigger than the U.S. state of New Jersey – America’s fifth smallest state at 7,787 square miles – become such a point of hatred in the world?

Antisemitic terrorist activities have become almost a daily occurrence in the United States, Israel’s best friend.

And Israel is our only friend in the Middle East, maybe the world.

Israel’s size is only 10,760 square miles – 85 miles at its widest point and 290 miles long – hardly enough to notice.

Yet neighboring countries ceaselessly attempt to wipe it out, acting like they have some claim to it.

It’s been pointed out repeatedly there has never been a nation called Palestine.

The country now known as Israel was termed as Palestine, which is what the region was called by England, which administered it after World War I.

American President Harry Truman, a Democrat, was the international leader who first recognized Israel as an independent nation in 1948.

Strangely, today’s Democratic leadership seems to be among the leaders in denigrating Israel.

America and Israel have officially been allies since Truman’s time, although there have been ups and downs in the relationship.

The outbreaks of antisemitic terrorism like that in Colorado a few weeks ago, and then Los Angeles, would have been unheard of a few years ago.

Incidentally, the family of the Boulder terrorism suspect, Mohamed Soliman, who was arrested as the firebomber of a group of American Jews peacefully walking in support of the release of those taken forcefully by radical Muslims, is being deported by the Trump administration.

Could it be that Israel’s success in building a large and successful economy is the reason for its hatred by its neighbors and the worldwide Lef It took over a wasteland after World War II and turned it into a productive garden despite a scarcity of water.

Columnist Guy Benson titled a recent column on Townhall.com, “America, we have a serious violence problem.” It partially discusses Israel. He analyzed the problem this way: “We have a serious problem in this country, and it’s been building and metastasizing for quite some time.

“The scope of pro-Hamas sentiment inside our borders started to become clear within hours of the October 7th massacre in 2023, and that demented cause has further emerged as the hard Left’s top cause celebre ever since.

“A destructive alliance of leftists and Islamists has engaged in relentless lying and propaganda in the service of this cause, inventing and regurgitating false claims of ‘genocide,’ intentional massacres of civilians and ‘mass starvation’ to slander and delegitimize Israel, all while shouting the slogans of an explicitly genocidal, civilian-targeting, aid-withholding terrorist organization.

“Our campuses are hotbeds of ‘anti-Zionism,’ with Jew-haters and sundry leftist hangers-on furiously obsessing over the world’s lone, tiny Jewish state. The current war was set alight by Hamas, in an orgy of bloodshed and shockingly inhumane barbarity.

“Members of the aforementioned dirtbag coalition deny, ignore, minimize, justify, and celebrate those attacks. They immediately began dehumanizing the victims, even turning the tearing down of hostage posters into a perverse ritual.”

That about sums it up. Another thought. Could it be that Israelis just work harder than their “less fortunate” neighbors?

Or could it be that the new world of social media give more inflammatory individuals the medium to spread their bias?

America was founded on Christian principles despite the arguments of our supposedly more learned individuals.

The 10 Commandments, which set a standard for civil life, came from the Jewish tribe.

If all people would follow those rules, the world would be a better place.

I like what Author and columnist Dennis Prager said about the 10 Commandments: “Words That Changed the World. The most important words ever written are the Ten Commandments. These words changed the world when they were first presented at Mt. Sinai to the Israelites, and they are changing it now. They are the foundation stones of Western Civilization.” ...

Christianity, an offshoot of The Old Testament, adds the need to be united in faith with Jesus Christ.

Kenneth Berding, associate professor of New Testament at Biola University, LaMirada Calif., had these thoughts on the matter: “Prager assumes that people have the ability simply to do the commands of God. He is wrong in this assumption. The New Testament teaches that we cannot successfully carry out the commands of God by simply trying hard to do them. We need to be united with Christ by faith and in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit—who gives us power to do what we could never do on our own. The New Testament teaches that we are slaves of sin and cannot find release from the law’s condemnatory function—with one exception. We need to accept the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection and sending of his Spirit...”