Ship clash leaves Israel

Israel could pay a heavy price including damage to peace efforts with the Palestinians over the killing of 10 international activists on a Turkish ship trying to break a blockade of Gaza. Islamist Hamas's rival for Palestinian loyalties, secular president Mahmoud Abbas, was quick to condemn the naval attack as a "massacre" an ill omen for the U.S.-mediated negotiations with Israel on which he embarked three weeks ago.
Barack Obama will have to balance relations with Turkey and other Muslim allies of the United States against Washington's ties with Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on a visit to Canada when the Israeli raid took place, canceled a planned White House meeting with Obama on Tuesday and would leave later on Monday for home, Israeli officials said.
Netanyahu's White House invitation was widely seen in Israel as an attempt by Obama to mend fences and shore up U.S. Jewish support for Democratic candidates in a November mid-term election after a frosty Oval office meeting in March.
Oussama Safa of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies predicted Obama might "ante up the pressure against the Israelis" to accommodate Palestinian demands though the Netanyahu government has said the Gaza blockade will remain.
Turkey, a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, said it would seek a resolution against Israel a poke in the eye for Israel and the United States, which would prefer to see the Council sanction Iran for its nuclear programme.
"I see all the looks that I'm getting," Ben-Eliezer told Israel's Army Radio by telephone.Hamas government head Ismail Haniyeh said of the activists: "You were heroes, whether you reached (Gaza) or not."
"The difference is that this time foreigners are involved, which means a much wider impact," Shai told Israel Radio.
source by-reuters.com