What Next | Daily News and Analysis The Gaza Flotilla That’s Under Attack
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Sep 29, 2025 Zue Jernstedt, a veteran and member of About Face: Veterans Against the War, discusses her compelling journey on the Veterans Boat of the Global Samud Flotilla. She shares the mission to deliver vital aid to Gaza amidst an Israeli blockade, the intense military harassment they faced at sea, and her disillusionment with political leaders following her father's death. Zue also highlights the importance of solidarity and raising awareness, while distinguishing between Zionism and Judaism in the quest for equality.
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Army Service Led To Changed Views
- Zue joined the U.S. Army at 19 seeking a way out of a difficult life and was deployed to Afghanistan at 21.
- Her deployment exposed her to Afghan civilians and shifted her views as she connected with women in villages over tea and conversation.
Tea With Afghan Women Shifted Perspective
- While embedded with female teams, Zue sat with Afghan women, drank tea, and learned they shared common human desires with Americans.
- She realized many stereotypes about Muslim women were false and felt deep guilt about the harms of military intervention.
Personal Loss Shaped Antiwar Views
- Zue's father, a 9/11 firefighter, died while she was deployed, which intensified her sense that politicians treat soldiers as expendable.
- She connects that loss to broader veteran neglect and high veteran suicide rates.