By Ben Cohen

John Kerry went to Gaza in a symbolic move that represents a changing U.S policy towards the region. Kerry of course maintained that there was no change in policy, but as Mondoweiss points out:

Of course it is a change in policy. As Stephen Cook of the Council

on Foreign Relations explained, this is a huge symbolic gesture, and a

signal from the Obama administration, of a piece with the Muslim

statement in the Inaugural speech, the Al-Arabiya interview, and the

George Mitchell appointment.

Check out Kerry's interview with the BBC here.

Noam Chomsky disagrees, but the tone of the Obama Administration shouldn't be underestimated here. While Obama may not confess publicly to sympathizing with the Palestinian cause, his political roots as a community organizer indicates he does. The important thing is dialogue, and Kerry's visit, the first in 4 years by any U.S poltician, is a good start.