Simone Zimmerman is a Jewish American activist known for her advocacy against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. She co-founded IfNotNow, a movement of young American Jews calling for an end to U.S. support for the occupation and a reexamination of how Jewish institutions engage with the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The group emphasizes the defense of human rights and dignity for Palestinians while fostering open dialogue within the Jewish community.
Zimmerman appears in the 2023 documentary Israelism, where she reflects on her experience growing up in the United States amid a culture of strong pro-Israel sentiment. In the film, she describes the pressure many young American Jews feel to align uncritically with Israeli government policies, even in the face of well-documented human rights concerns.
Her views began to shift during her time at the University of California, Berkeley, where debates over a student divestment resolution introduced her to Palestinian students’ personal accounts of displacement and loss. The absence of meaningful engagement with these narratives from her own community led Zimmerman to question long-held assumptions. Her transformation deepened in 2013, following a visit to Israel and East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, where she witnessed Palestinian families facing eviction — an experience that solidified her commitment to activism.
In 2014, Zimmerman helped launch IfNotNow in response to the Gaza War, positioning it as a challenge to established U.S. Jewish organizations such as AIPAC and the Anti-Defamation League. The movement used nonviolent protest and public advocacy to press for greater moral accountability from Jewish leaders and institutions. Zimmerman’s activism drew both strong criticism and admiration — opponents accused her of being anti-Israel, while supporters viewed her as part of a rising generation seeking a more critical and compassionate Jewish engagement with Israel–Palestine.
Through her continued activism and public engagement, Simone Zimmerman has become a prominent voice in redefining Jewish discourse on Israel–Palestine. Her work challenges American Jews to grapple with questions of identity, justice, and solidarity in one of the most divisive moral and political issues of their time.
You can donate to IfNotNow here.
