* * * * FLASH TRAFFIC: WASHINGTON UPDATE * * * *

Israel Faces New International Crisis Due to Violence Aboard Gaza Aid Flotilla Now is the time for Christians to show Israel unconditional love and unwavering support. By Joel C. Rosenberg (Washington, D.C., June 1, 2010) -- Israel is being bombarded with lies, false and unfair allegations and sheer anti-Semitic assaults. The U.S. is doing precious little to defend its most faithful ally in the Middle East, but this is the precise moment for followers of Jesus Christ to show unconditional love and unwavering support for the Jewish State amidst this brutal onslaught. The Israeli Defense Forces had every right to defend themselves and their country from the brutal and premeditated attacks of terrorists and left-wing anti-Israel activists, and it is unconscionable for world leaders to act otherwise. Here's the background of what happened: Israeli is facing a new international crisis after a spasm of violence aboard Turkish-flagged boats filled with some 600 activists from the Middle East and Europe that were heading for Gaza as part of a "Gaza aid flotilla." French, Danish and Israelis sources said some of the Turkish-backed left-wing activists had connections to terrorist organizations, including al-Qaeda and Hamas. The Israeli government had made it clear in advance that the six boats would not be allowed to enter Gaza directly but would have to bring any humanitarian aid they carried to be bringing through Israeli ports. Israeli commandos ordered the boats to stop, but the flotilla refused. The Israelis then forced the boats to stop and boarded them in part to determine if the activists were trying to smuggle weapons into Gaza. The commandos were then attacked by the activists and the Israelis defended themselves. At least 10 activists were killed and several more were wounded. At least 5 Israeli commandos were wounded, as well. "They [the Israeli soldiers] were mobbed, they were clubbed, they were beaten, stabbed, there was even a report of gunfire. And our soldiers had to defend themselves," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "Our policy was and will continue to be that Israel would let humanitarian aid, any kind of goods that are meant for peace, to the civilian population of Gaza….We have no problems with the people of Gaza. We do have a conflict with the terrorist regime of Hamas, supported by Iran. We want to maintain a situation where we prevent weapons and war materials from coming into Gaza, and allowing humanitarian aid to go to the population of Gaza." [More details on the weblog -- http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/] ------------------------------------------------ 2010 EPICENTER CONFERENCE UPDATE: * Over 1,300 people registered * Over 700 radio stations and several TV networks will be broadcasting portions of the conference * Just 24 days left to register to attend or to show the webcast to your congregation (Photo credit: Haaretz) LEARN: To track the latest news and trends from Israel and the epicenter on Joel's weblog (http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com), please click here