Dear friends,

I write to you at a moment of profound challenge for human rights in Israel and Palestine - and also of deep personal commitment. As I take on the role of Executive Director of HaMoked, I am acutely aware that this work has never been more difficult, or more necessary.

Let me begin by expressing my deep gratitude to Jessica Montell, who has led HaMoked with extraordinary courage and principle for the past eight years. Under Jessica's leadership, HaMoked has remained steadfast in its commitment to defending Palestinian rights even as the political environment has grown increasingly hostile to human rights work. Jessica's vision and determination have shaped HaMoked in lasting ways, and she leaves behind a strong foundation upon which we will continue to build.

For me, joining HaMoked is both a homecoming and a new beginning. I started my career in human rights law here, learning what it means to defend individual dignity in the face of systemic injustice. Since then, I have spent over a decade in human rights advocacy - leading the legal department at the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, serving as a Human Rights Officer at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and most recently directing the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel. Throughout this journey, I have witnessed both the power of determined legal advocacy and the courage it takes to defend rights when civic space is shrinking. I return to HaMoked bringing this experience, but also a renewed sense of purpose: to continue the vital work of defending Palestinians' rights case by case, person by person.

The war in Gaza has been devastating and deadly, forcing all of us who work in human rights to reckon with profound questions about protection, accountability, and what it means to defend human dignity in times of catastrophe. In the aftermath of such violence, and amid a fragile ceasefire, the work of documenting violations, seeking remedies, and insisting on the rule of law feels both more difficult and more essential than ever. HaMoked's mandate - defending individual Palestinians against detention, movement restrictions, family separation, and other rights violations - may seem modest in scale. But it represents something vital: the principled insistence that every person's rights matter, even when - especially when - political forces would deny them.

As we close this painful year, I thank you for standing with HaMoked. Your support enables us to continue this work in 2026, when we will need resilience, creativity, and moral clarity more than ever.

During this season of reflection and renewal, I wish all those celebrating a meaningful Hanukkah, a peaceful Christmas, and a more hopeful New Year to all.

Tal Steiner
Executive Director of HaMoked