Sunbird Mission
American Jewish Activist

Simone Zimmerman

Simone Zimmerman is an American Jewish activist, co-founder of IfNotNow, and director at B’Tselem USA, an organization that supports the work of the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem in exposing and challenging human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. Zimmerman first became involved in activism while studying at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was a member of J Street U, a student organization that advocates for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She later served as the national president of J Street U and worked as a national organizer for the group.

In 2016, Zimmerman co-founded IfNotNow, a progressive Jewish organization that seeks to end American Jewish support for the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The group has gained attention for its activism, including protests and demonstrations aimed at challenging the policies of major Jewish organizations in the United States.

That same year, Zimmerman made headlines when she was hired as the Jewish outreach coordinator for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, but was subsequently suspended after a Facebook post surfaced in which she had used harsh language to criticize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Since then, Zimmerman has continued her activism on behalf of Palestinian rights and has been a vocal critic of the Israeli government’s policies in the occupied territories. Through her work with B’Tselem USA and IfNotNow, she aims to educate American audiences about the realities of the occupation and to mobilize support for a just and peaceful resolution to the conflict.