Tension Intensifies Between Israel and Turkey Over Flotilla Attack: Should the U.S. Take a Harder Stance Against Israel?

June 1, 2010— -- Israel's raid of an aid flotilla attempting to break Israel's blocade of Gaza has sparked international outrage, with Russia and the European Union condemning the use of violence and calling for an investigation. The attack has left 10 dead.

Today, Egypt temporarily reopened its border to allow the flow of aid to Gaza.

Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade in 2007, after Hamas violently seized the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli attack on the Turkish ship has further escalated tensions between those two countries. Turkey's prime minister called the flotilla attack a "bloody massacre," and Turkey has withdrawn its ambassador to Israel.

This latest Middle East crisis came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was about to meet with President Obama, and a fresh round of U.S.-sponsored peace talks was about to begin. The last round of talks was canceled when Israel announced an expansion of housing in East Jerusalem, an area that the Palestinians see as a future capital of their country.

The U.S. is standing by Israel, though, with Obama said to be focused on the long-term goal of Middle East peace.

"The president has always said that it will be much easier for Israel to make peace if it feels secure," a senior administration official told ABC News.

The United States pushed the United Nations Security Council to issue a statement on the commando attack that is less harsh than many countries had wanted, allowing Israel to pursue its own investigation of the incident as long as it is "prompt, impartial, credible and transparent."

Our question to you today: Should the United States take a harder stance against Israel in response to the flotilla attack?