The World Jewish Congress (WJC) has requested a meeting with the EU Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi, to discuss their differences over the Commission's attitude towards anti-Semitism and Israel.
Sharp differences have arisen between the WJC and Mr Prodi in recent days. The WJC regarded a Commission-sponsored opinion poll, which allegedly showed that most Europeans regarded Israel as "the greatest threat to world peace", as having resulted from asking loaded questions.
The WJC also charged the Commission with censoring an EU study that purported to show Muslim minority groups had been involved in incidents of anti-Semitism.
Two prominent Jewish leaders, Mr Edgar Bronfman and Mr Cobi Benatoff, wrote in the Financial Times: "Anti-Semitism can be expressed in two ways: by action and inaction. Remarkably, the European Commission is guilty of both."
Mr Prodi and his colleagues, stung by the attacks, cancelled planning for an EU seminar on anti-Semitism due to take place next month. But in Dublin on Tuesday, Mr Prodi seemed to soften his stance and yesterday Commission sources said he would meet Jewish leaders.
"He ... would like to sit down at the table with people who do not, as a starting point, accuse him of being anti-semitic, which is an accusation he needless to say finds highly offensive," they remarked.
The chief Commission spokesman, Mr Reijo Kemppinen, said yesterday that the seminar would go ahead, following approaches by a number of Jewish groups, including the World Jewish Congress.
Israel's ambassador to the EU, Mr Oded Eran, issued a statement aimed at cooling passions over the incident.
"Israel ... has no doubts as to the opposition of the European political leadership to this phenomenon [anti-semitism]. This opposition was also expressed in the European Council's conclusions in December last year denouncing anti-semitism, and by President Prodi's initiative of holding a conference on this issue," he said.