A lot has changed in Israel and Palestine since Oregon’s Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley first visited in 1978 as a 21-year-old backpacker. Israeli soldiers have also razed entire cities, leaving most of the remaining population of Gaza today displaced and facing famine. The U.S. has sent more than $20 billion in weapons and military aid to Israel since Oct. 7, 2023. While he and Van Hollen were there, they could hear Israel dropping bombs on Gaza City. “There’s deep, deep debates going on among the leadership and the people of the State of Israel,” Merkley said.