One year later: What’s Changed in Gaza and Israel?

The blockade on the Gaza Strip remains an albatross for US policy and a disaster for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and continues to threaten Israeli security concerns. President Obama, whose silhouette is highlighted in this Gaza billboard, has repeatedly called for a lifting of the siege on Gaza’s civilian population. It ...

The blockade on the Gaza Strip remains an albatross for US policy and a disaster for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and continues to threaten Israeli security concerns. President Obama, whose silhouette is highlighted in this Gaza billboard, has repeatedly called for a lifting of the siege on Gaza’s civilian population. It is ironically not US diplomacy, however, but the tunnel system created by Hamas and independent Palestinian businesses, which are bringing in desperately needed basic foodstuffs and reconstruction material (as well as weaponry) to a territory only twice the size of Washington, DC. Although no US diplomat has been allowed to visit the Gaza Strip for years to see firsthand the conditions of civilians, America’s elected representatives have made several visits to see for themselves. Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), along with Senator John Kerry and Congressman Brian Baird were among the first to visit the Gaza Strip shortly after Israel’s Operation Cast Lead ended. Since then, a total of 13 US Members of Congress have now visited the Gaza Strip, some on more than one occasion.

Congressman Keith Ellison returned from a recent follow-up visit to Israel and the Gaza Strip and has shared some of his pictures with the Middle East Channel from his trip.

Click here to view the photo essay.

<p> Keith Ellison (D-MN.) represents the 5th Congressional District of Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives. He sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. </p>

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