I think it was more likely damage control on the part of the government (though I also have little trust in the government). There was a lot of pre-launch hype about the fact that there was an Israeli astronaut aboard, and a lot of extra security in response to his presence, which he appreciated. Remembering this, one of the first thoughts that came to my mind when I heard about the accident was "oh my god, people are going to say this was an act of terrorism, and use it as another excuse to start a war". Mind you, I did not actually believe that this was the case, I was concerned with what people would spin it into. (My father on the other hand, misinterpreted my concerns and now believes me to be a paranoid who sees terrorists around every other bush...)

Ricky, the reason there has always been an international astronaut during the accidents is probably because there is OFTEN an international astronaut on the missions. It has to do with that most-of-the-world-doesn't-have-rockets-and-we-do phenomenon.