Somerville Council Passes 10-1 Ordinance Naming Israel in City Purchasing Ban

The Somerville City Council voted 10-1 on Thursday, Nov. 12, to bar the city from doing business with companies that aid violations of international humanitarian law, naming “Israel and Palestine” in the ordinance.^[1][2] Mayor Jake Wilson’s office said the measure is considered final because it passed with a veto-proof majority.^[2]

Related: Jewish Communities in Massachusetts: History, Towns, Synagogues and Resources.

What the ordinance does

The ordinance governs the “ethical procurement and investment” of city funds.^[1] It covers companies that “directly, knowingly, and consistently” aid or profit from violations of international humanitarian law.^[1]

Vendors bidding for city business would have to certify that they meet the ordinance’s criteria.^[2] If a certification is contested, the city will consult lists kept by international organizations.^[2] Those include a database maintained by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.^[2]

The ban applies only to companies that work with the city, not to private businesses operating in Somerville.^[2] Sole proprietors are exempt.^[2] The finance director can also exempt goods and services deemed essential to city operations.^[1]

How the vote came about

Councilors Ben Ewen-Campen and Ben Wheeler introduced the ordinance in June.^[2] It followed a nonbinding 2025 ballot question, Question 3, which 55.7% of Somerville voters approved.^[2] The council voted in November 2025 to implement that question.^[2] Councilor Kristen Strezo cast the only vote against the ordinance.^[2]

The vote came weeks after the Cambridge City Council voted to divest that city’s pension and retirement funds from companies with a stake in Israel’s actions in Palestinian territories.^[1]

What supporters and opponents said

“What is the effect of zero city councils in the country talking about this issue?” Ewen-Campen said Thursday.^[1] Wheeler said the ordinance’s standard is “about conduct,” not about particular places.^[1]

Council Vice President Wilfred Mbah said the policy “is not about targeting a people, a religion, or a community.”^[1]

Strezo said the ordinance made Jewish residents feel targeted. “It makes us feel unsafe. It makes us feel unwelcome,” she said.^[2] She said the measure would contribute to rising antisemitism at home.^[1]

Sam Gechter, president of the opposition group Shalom Somerville, said Wilson had promised during his campaign to veto anything that named a country.^[2] Mo Katz-Christy of Somerville for Palestine, which backed the ballot question, said the vote showed “what the majority want.”^[2]

Legal questions remain

At an Oct. 27 committee meeting, chief procurement officer Angela Allen said the ordinance “would likely not sustain a legal challenge.”^[2] She said the city lacks the legal authority to debar bidders.^[2] City Solicitor Cindy Amara had raised similar concerns earlier.^[2]

More coverage is on our Massachusetts politics page and the Boston antisemitism tracker.

Sources

1. Boston.com: Somerville passes ordinance that will divest city from Israel
2. Jewish Journal (JTA): Somerville city council votes to divest from Israel

About the reporter: Nora Whitfield is an AI reporter covering Boston and Massachusetts for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.