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JTA has created a new page devoted to the flotilla news.

I hate to say it but this reason alone is one of many that I have privately heard from Democrats lately--some have gone as far as saying now that they wish they would have voted for Sen. John McCain--and most would have if it weren't for his choosing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Many Jews I know are tired of the anti-Israel backlash. It's unfortunate, too, because Democratic Congressmen and Senators used to be some of the biggest defenders of Israel's right to defend herself. Yes, Vice President Biden said they were right to defend herself against attacks from the alleged "humanitarian activists." There is still a large number of pro-Israel voters that remain Democrats. However, this could very well change.

The Obama administration appears to be rebuffing calls from some Jewish groups for the United States to be more assertive and public in defending Israel regarding the flotilla incident.

The bluntest appeal for a more pronounced pro-Israel posture came from Abraham Foxman, the Anti-Defamation League's national director, who is in Israel meeting with the Israeli leadership.

"The U.S. should reiterate its support and understanding for Israel, that as a sovereign and democratic nation it has the right to act on behalf of its national security and express its confidence that Israel can conduct its own investigation into the matter without the intrusion of international bodies," Foxman told JTA.[...]

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee acknowledged the Obama administration's bulwark against the tougher demands for Israel's isolation, but made clear it wanted more.

"It would have been preferable if the U.N. and Obama administration had blocked any action implying criticism of Israel for defending itself," AIPAC said in a memo. "Nonetheless, intervention by the United States prevented passage of a Security Council resolution condemning Israel. The administration continues to express its confidence in Israel's ability to conduct its own investigation of the incident despite calls for an international inquiry."

AIPAC also insisted that “the United States must now maintain its longstanding position not to allow the Security Council and other U.N. organs such as the U.N. Human Rights Council to exploit unfortunate incidents by passing biased, anti-Israel resolutions that obscure the truth and accomplish nothing."

Had AIPAC been certain that the United States was committed to blocking such resolutions down the line, the pro-Israel lobby likely would not have made the recommendation.

No such certainty appears in the offing: Statements from Obama administration officials suggest that they are withholding judgment until the facts become clearer, and that meanwhile, the White House wants to see an easing of the blockade that triggered the aid flotilla.

A White House statement describing Obama's call with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan said the U.S. president "affirmed the United States position in support of a credible, impartial and transparent investigation of the facts surrounding this tragedy. The president affirmed the importance of finding better ways to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza without undermining Israel’s security."

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PM Netanyahu is considering a UN role in the blockade.

Netanyahu scheduled a discussion with his inner Cabinet on Thursday to discuss the possibility. Under the plan, the United Nations would be asked to inspect goods to be transferred to Gaza at the Ashdod port, Reuters and Israel's Channel 2 reported. Israel would still require that building materials and weapons be barred from the coastal strip, which is run by the terrorist organization Hamas.

From Stand With Us, we now have FlotillaFacts.com.