Anti-zionism and anti-semitism

On Hard Talk Extra tonight, comedian David Baddiel and journalist Jonathan Freedland both said they believed it was anti-semitic to question the state of Israel-or could at least seem so. This is a very simplistic claim. It doesn't rest on any logical or rational argument, and this is particularly disapointing coming from a journalist such as Freedland.

One could describe being opposed to the state of Israel as being "anti-zionist". Yet, this would be to ignore the zionists who opposed the concept of a jewish state before it was created. Noam Chomsky has told how he was a zionist from a young age yet has always opposed a 'jewish state' as an utterly undemocratic state.

For Jonathan Freedland, it would be unfair to allow Australians to have a state and not Jews. There is one blatant difference between Jews and Australians. 'Jewishness' is an exclusive concept. It carries religious overtones. To be an Australian, you don't need to be a christian, or even indigenous...Do we think islamic states are democratic? Do we allow christianity to define 'our' nations-other than symbolically?

Even if 'anti-zionism' means being opposed to the state of Israel, how can this be construed as being anti-semitic? David Baddiel himself said Israelis to him weren't really jewish(with a little humour, I admit).Couldn't such a statement be seen as anti-semitic by Israelis, especially if they lack a jewish sense of humour, as he suggested?

For David Baddiel Anne Widdecombe's "something about the night" comment about Michael Howard was unconsciously anti-semitic. Personally, I didn't know, at the time, that Howard was jewish, and yet I understood what she meant-even if I don't necessarily agree with her. Are all untrustworthy people supposed to be Jews?