I'm suffering from mind fog due to illness and I haven't got the patience to sit and re-read or go through all the transmutations of this thread. So forgive me if I miss all the points.

As a Jew who is antiwar and anti-Sharon, I have never once been accused of being a self-hating Jew, and -- at least where I live, in L.A. in America, and sometimes on the web -- I have to say I rarely hear of anti-Israel people being accused of being anti-semitic. I feel a bit sensitive about overuse of the term "anti-Israel," and prefer "anti-Sharon." Perhaps it's more prevalent in Europe.

McGrath, you make a good point when you say: "...one of the effects of the claim that opposition to Israel does imply anti-semitism is to make it easier for anti-semitism to crawl back into the light. It blurs the distinctions, and that, I would suggest, is one reason why the claim is often made."

I had been just about to post that when anti-semitism began to rear its ugly head all over Europe again a year or so ago, and especially France (as it does periodically every 30 years or so), the points were made that many of these types were blurring (is confusing too mild a word?) the Israeli position with all Jews, and their rhetoric incited the ignorant. That's how it spreads (I guess you already said it "makes it easier for anti-semitism to crawl back into the light).

And that is what becomes to me a danger whenever people talk virulently anti-Israel.   

As for Dreaded Guest, I'm afraid that "anti-Jewish" is indeed being bigoted, and I'm not going to sit and split finite points on this, whether or not it's literally "racist." As Jews on here have tried to explain, Judaism is more than a religion -- always has been as much about a culture and ethnicity. Thus, someone like me who hasn't been to temple regularly since she was a child, and considers herself agnostic, still is "a Jew." And yeah, if you're getting prohibited from buying a house or staying in a hotel because of your last name or appearance, it wouldn't make a whole hell of a lot of difference whether one "chose" to be a Jew or not.   

Forum Lurker and Bev and Jerry and others already made the point: criticizing "A" Jew isn't anti-semitic, criticizing Jews as a group, is (forgive me if we've already moved on from this...but I do think these distinctions have alluded some people).

Dreaded Guest: Your last bit, protesting that you are "not bashing Jews," but suggesting a link between the World Trade Center and Jews (even if you "meant" Israelis), just veered way across the line I draw for myself. If you're not anti-semitic yet, you're on the path that many of ducks walk.