Rachel Lever is a veteran British Jewish activist, writer, and a core member of Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) and Free Speech on Israel (FSOI).
Lever’s political acumen is rooted in her unique early life experiences. She moved to Jerusalem with her parents in 1947 and spent her primary school years there; this “insider perspective” gave her a profound understanding of the rift between early Zionist propaganda and social reality. Since 1967, she has been a steadfast supporter of Palestinian rights. As an active Labour Party member, she is renowned for her rigorous logic in internal debates, having submitted significant testimony to the Chakrabarti Inquiry to refute the logical fallacy of equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
She founded the One Democracy website to promote the vision of a single democratic state with equal rights for all peoples. Between 2023 and 2026, she co-initiated and signed numerous global open letters alongside activists like Mike Cushman and Leah Levane, protesting the political purging of Palestinian supporters and opposing the erosion of academic freedom by the IHRA definition. Through her writings on platforms like The Chronikler, she systematically exposes the reality of apartheid in the occupied territories and calls for the Jewish community to return to its moral roots of seeking justice and peace.
She believes that supporting Palestine aligns with Jewish tradition, stating: “I’ve learned more about rich Jewish traditions of dissent and justice. Many of us feel solidarity with Palestinians because of, not in spite of, our Jewish heritage.“