Shalom Simhon was born in Israel in 1956 in Kfar Sava. He served in the IDF and has a B.A. in Social Work from Haifa University.
Shalom Simhon resides on Moshav Even Menahem, and has been actively involved in the Moshav Movement for more than fifteen years. He was Executive Director of the Youth Section of the Movement from 1985-1991, and Chairman of the Social Department from 1991-1993. From 1993-2001, he held the position of Secretary-General, as well as Chairman of the Pension Fund. Shalom Simhon was a member of the Board of The Israel Lands Administration until 1996, and from 1997-2001 he was the Secretary-General of the Agricultural Center of Farmers' Organizations in Israel.
He was first elected to the Knesset in 1996. From 1996-99 he served as Chairman of the Agricultural Committee and member of the Economic and Finance Committees. From 1999-2001, he was Chairman of the Water Committee and member of the Finance, Labor, Social Welfare and Health, and House Committees. He also served as Chairman of the Israel-Thailand Parliamentary Friendship League. In 2001 he chaired the Finance Committee.
Shalom Simhon served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development from March 2001 until October 2002, when he resigned from the government together with the other Labor ministers.
Simhon served as Minister of the Environment from January to November 2005, when Labor resigned from the government.
In May 2006, Shalom Simhon was appointed Minister of Agriculture.
He is married, with two children.