The term "anti-Semitism" is generally used to shut up and shut down anyone who criticises Israel. The latest edition of Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Collegiate Thesaurus apparently includes a definition of anti-Semitism that reads, "opposition to Zionism: sympathy with opponents of the state of Israel".
Huh?!
Let's think about this for a minute. I can criticise George W. Bush and the American government all I want. Now, George seems to be - or at least pretends to be - a fundamentalist Christian. But if I call Georgie's policies murderous and fascist, I won't be branded "anti-Christian". So why are so many people immediately shut down when allegations of anti-Semitism are flung their way?
