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With Gaza cut off from food and aid, activists have taken matters into their own hands, attempting to circumvent Israel’s blockade themselves via the Mediterranean.

One of the boat passengers is Zue Jernstedt, a veteran and member of About Face: Veterans Against the War. She’s on the so-called veterans’ boat of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a group of 52 vessels making their way east. For the past five months, boats have been attempting this journey. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg got arrested when making this trip back in June; this time, Jernstedt is traveling alongside Thunberg.

Israel has warned the activists to stay away. As Jernstedt and the rest of the flotilla get closer, Israel’s warnings feel more like threats.

On a recent episode of What Next, host Mary Harris spoke to Jernstedt about why she’s joined the movement to deliver aid to Gaza. The episode was recorded on Thursday, and this transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Mary Harris: How did you get connected with the flotilla? 

Zue Jernstedt: I worked with ISM, the International Solidarity Movement, in the West Bank. I worked with a Palestinian American who was actually there first and did the training with me. We spent our first few weeks together before she went home. She messaged me about the flotilla a few weeks ago. And I signed up and left within a week.

If I heard about a flotilla delivering aid to Gaza, with a very high likelihood of the Israeli military targeting me, spending weeks on a boat with people I didn’t know beforehand, I’m not sure I would jump to sign up. Why did you? 

Honestly, I don’t think everyone should jump to sign up. It is a very difficult thing. I jumped to sign up because my friend told me there was a veterans’ boat.