But it was really a massacre of 1,400 mostly innocent civilians, including over 300 children, not a war. A turkey shoot, according to some refusnik ex-Israeli soldiers. The pictures of gore could not be believed. But mostly I think it was Israel's pretext: it broke the ceasefire only two months before the Israeli election. Netanyahu was claiming that Kadima was "soft" on Palestinians (and don't ask me what that meant). So the monster trioka: Barak, Olmert, and Livni, sought to prove otherwise and they let Palestinian blood flow.

Barak sent troops in and killed six Hamas militants contrary to the rules of the ceasefire. It was broken. Hamas reacted and rockets began flying again.

Erdogan, I think, understood that the taking of 1,400 lives was nothing more than a political advertisement, if a bloody one. But that's how Palestinians are viewed in Israel, as chattel, "dirty Arabs," cheap life.

One issue with Israel has always been that the usual suspects, eg Syria et al, are not militarily capable of standing up to Israel.  Turkey on the other hand, is someone Israel's own size in that respect and likely bigger.

Does Israel dare take the same approach with a much stronger opponent than it has with the relative weaklings it has dealt with in the past two decades?  In tassling with Iraq, Israel had the US in their pocket.  Turkey, again, does not fit this mold, and is in fact in NATO, a binding military agreement with the US, not to mention far more important to the world outside than Hussein-ruled Iraq ever was.

Frankly, I see Turkey as recognizing that if the US isn't going to do anything about Israel's action in Gaza then someone has to, and they are the ones who can handle the job.

This, from my view, indicates that this story has only begun to unfold.

JERUSALEM -- The fallout from Israel's attack on a flotilla trying to breach the blockade of Gaza widened Tuesday amid growing criticism of the raid, which left nine activists dead. Egypt reopened its border with Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to flow through, and activists said they had sent another ship to the area.

More than 600 activists arrested after Monday's raid in international waters remained in custody in southern Israel, although an Israeli police spokesman said that about 45 people were being deported.

Monday's confrontation at sea strained relations between Israel and the United States just as American-sponsored proximity talks involving Palestinians and Israelis were getting under way.

And Turkish animosity seemed to deepen as Israel announced that four of the nine killed in the military operation aboard the Turkish vessel were Turkish citizens, the Anatolian News Agency reported. In a speech, Turkey's prime minister called on Israel to be punished for the raid. In New York, after protracted wrangling, the United Nations Security Council condemned "acts" leading to the loss of life in the operation by Israeli commandos in international waters on Monday.

The Security Council also urged an impartial inquiry -- a call echoed in a separate forum by Russia and the European Union on Tuesday at a meeting of senior officials in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

For its part, Turkey, once seen as Israel's most important friend in the Muslim world, recalled its ambassador on Monday and canceled planned military exercises with Israel as the countries' already tense relations soured even further. "This irresponsible, heedless, unlawful attitude that defies any human virtue should definitely, but definitely, be punished," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday in his regular weekly address to his party in the capital, Ankara.

"No one should dare to challenge Turkey or test her patience for that the strength of Turkey's animosity is as strong as the value of its friendship."

"Call your piratical boarding of Turkish ships in international waters and raise you one border opening."

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

UNITED NATIONS -- After hours of negotiations, the United Nations Security Council early on Tuesday condemned "acts" resulting in the deaths of nine civilians in Israel's attack on an aid flotilla trying to breach the Gaza blockade.

In a formal statement that seemed less forceful than what had been demanded by the Palestinians, Arab nations and Turkey, the council also demanded an impartial investigation into the confrontation.

The statement urged that aid ships seized in the raid on Monday be released along with civilians held by Israel.

"The Security Council deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries resulting from the use of force during the Israeli military operation in international waters against the convoy sailing to Gaza," the statement said, adding that the 15-member body "in this context, condemns those acts which resulted in the loss" of lives.

Perhaps not all that Turkey and the Arab states would have liked but surely more than the US or Israel would have liked. The US did not veto this resolution.

"The Security Council requests the immediate release of the ships as well as the civilians held by Israel," the United Nations statement said, calling for "a prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards."

It also said the situation in Gaza, under blockade by Israel, was "not sustainable" and called for a "sustained and regular flow of goods and people to Gaza, as well as unimpeded provision and distribution of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza."

We will see what agreements are reached on investigations. A possible compromise on humanitarian aid would be for it to flow to Gaza through Egypt under a UN monitor with an Israeli observer.

While condemnation of Israel in the Security Council is not uncommon, the criticism at the emergency session called by Turkey and Lebanon was notable for both its vehemence and for the broad array of countries demanding an independent investigation into the decision to fire on civilians in what they described as a humanitarian mission.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey, whose country's once close relations with Israel have deteriorated markedly since Israel's invasion of Gaza in 2009, called the attack "tantamount to banditry and piracy; it is murder conducted by a state."

Noting that the ships were carrying items such as a playground equipment, cancer medicine and milk powder, he said that given the history of the Jews the Israelis should be more conscious than others of "the dangers and inhumanity of ghettoes as the one we currently witness in occupied Gaza."

Gerard Araud, the French ambassador, said the death toll indicated "there was disproportionate use of force and a level of violence which nothing justifies and which we condemn."

Nawaf Salam, the Lebanese ambassador, said even the laws of war require the delivery of humanitarian aid.

I agree that Turkey was very important ally of US and won't tolerate usual handling of "Muslim allies" at the hands of Western Powers which treat them second rate, Israel always first rate.

Another possibility which we may speculate about is "regime change" in Turkey, what if US will instigate military takeover in Ankara? How EU and NATO will react to coup?

A top official in the Foreign Ministry, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the Turkish demand for an official apology was mainly an excuse to allow Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's to cut diplomatic ties with Israel.

The foreign ministry officials said that they were surprised by the request for an apology which came from Turkey's Ambassador to Washington Namik Tan, as the demand was not relayed through any other diplomatic channels.

Tan, who was Turkey's ambassador to Israel before his U.S. appointment, was known to be a supporter of Israel, the officials said.