Somerville divestment – Somerville is set to consider an ordinance that would bar the city from procuring vendors or investing in companies tied to entities accused of apartheid, genocide, unlawful military occupation, or systematic violations of international humanitarian law, in a
For many residents in Somerville, the fight over Israel-related divestment never ended at the ballot box. It has now landed back on City Council’s docket. where officials are expected to weigh an ordinance that would push the city toward cutting financial ties—despite the question that sparked it having been nonbinding.
The proposal scheduled for Thursday’s City Council meeting is designed to make Somerville avoid doing business with companies that support or draw revenue from entities the ordinance describes as engaged in “apartheid. genocide. unlawful military occupation. ” or conduct “recognized to constitute systematic violation of international humanitarian law.” The language explicitly adds “including. without limitation in Israel and Palestine.”.
The ordinance lays out limited pathways to keep the policy workable. It would allow exceptions in cases where procurement is essential to the city’s operations. or where excluding companies would “tank an open bidding process.” Somerville would also be permitted to invest in companies otherwise banned if those investments are “essential to the sound financial operation of the city.”.
At the center of the proposal is a mandate for oversight. It would direct Somerville’s mayor to create. maintain. and apply an “Ethical Procurement and Investment Policy.” That policy would be used to evaluate potential divestment decisions with findings from international legal or human rights bodies. including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
The International Criminal Court’s involvement is not theoretical in this case. The ICC previously issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as the chief of Hamas’s military wing.
The ordinance arrives after Somerville City Council voted in late November to work toward fulfilling Ballot Question 3’s directive. Prompted by Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. Ballot Question 3 asked whether the city should be made to cut business ties with companies that “engage in business that sustains Israel’s apartheid. genocide. and illegal occupation of Palestine.” That nonbinding question passed with 55.7% of the votes cast.
The current proposal is sponsored by councilors Ben Ewen-Campen and Ben Wheeler. It also comes as other Massachusetts cities have taken similar steps: officials in Northampton and Medford previously approved comparable divestment legislation.
Taken together, Thursday’s vote would be more than a symbolic follow-through. The ballot question that passed last November set the political direction—now the council is weighing whether the city’s purchasing and investment rules should reflect it in a concrete, enforceable way.
Somerville City Council divestment Israel Gaza Ballot Question 3 apartheid genocide international humanitarian law Ethical Procurement and Investment Policy Ben Ewen-Campen Ben Wheeler