Jessica Montell

Jessica Montell has been a leading figure in the Israeli human rights community for over two decades. From 2001-2014, she was Executive Director of B’Tselem: the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. From 2017-2025, she was Executive Director of HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual, which provides free legal aid to Palestinians. She teaches leadership at the Hebrew University’s Master’s in Non-Profit Management and is a frequent speaker and commentator on human rights, NGO strategies and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  

For her contribution to human rights, in 2023 Jessica was inducted as an Officer in the Order of Merit of the French Republic. In 2013, Action on Armed Violence selected Jessica as one of the 100 most influential people working to make the world a safer place.   

During her fellowship, Jessica will produce a collective reflection of Israeli human rights activists regarding their work during the Gaza war. This reflection will be the basis for conversations intended to strengthen the human rights community and increase its impact.