I think that recent actions by the government of Israel have increased the urgency of the need to respond to the Palestinian people's need for human rights and dignity.

Here's a slideshow of photos from a January 2009 demonstration in Seattle.

End the Siege of Gaza

The offensive by the state of Israel against Gaza, which started late December of 2008, continued for 10 more days after this demonstration, until the 13th of January, a week prior to the handover of the White House from the Bush Administration to the Obama Administration.

Here's more description from the event:

Protestors who oppose Israel's treatment of Palestinians and/or consider Israel's attacks against the Palestinian Terrority of Gaza to be Aggression, advocates of a Free Gaza, gathered at Westlake Plaza in downtown Seattle for an afternoon of rallying and marching. I estimate (roughly) that about 800 to 1,000 people participated. I have heard estimates ranging up toward 2,000 people.

p.s. I also remember that there was a lot of talk about oil and gas deposits off the coast of Gaza around the time of the December 2008/January 2009 Israeli offensive.