As flotilla missions face fire abroad, longtime organizers like Huwaida Arraf are pressing for a bold global strategy to aid Palestinians.

Earlier this month, Arraf was a featured speaker at the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit, where she called to “globalize the Intifada” as a worldwide movement for justice. The Arabic word intifada literally means “shaking off.” In Palestinian history, it refers to popular uprisings against Israeli occupation. 

Arraf, a Detroit-born civil rights attorney and Palestinian-American activist, co-founded the International Solidarity Movement and has helped lead several of the Gaza Freedom Flotillas — boats attempting to sail toward Gaza, break Israel’s naval blockade, and deliver humanitarian aid.

As Gaza’s suffering deepens and pleas for justice grow louder, Arraf spoke with Robyn Vincent about the world’s silence, and how long it can last.