Somerville city council votes to divest from Israel as lone dissenter warns Jews feel targeted

The City Council in this city north of Boston voted 10-1 Thursday night to ban the municipality from doing business with companies complicit in humanitarian violations, specifically naming those operating in “Israel and Palestine.”Councilor Kristen Strezo cast the only opposing vote on the 11-member board.Opponents of the ordinance fear that, in execution, it would be akin to a boycott of Israel, and as such would create a negative environment for the city's Jewish and Israeli residents. The ban only involves companies that work with the municipality and does not impact companies that operate privately in Somerville. It also excludes sole proprietors (individuals operating as companies).Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson's office said that, given that the ordinance passed with a veto-proof majority, the measure is now considered final. The ordinance was originally introduced in June by Councilors Ben Ewen-Campen and Ben Wheeler, after the City Council voted in November 2025 to implement ballot Question 3 on Israel divestment, which had been approved by 55.7% of voters earlier that month. Question 3 spoke of banning businesses that sustain “Israel's apartheid, genocide, and illegal occupation of Palestine.”During his campaign in 2025, Wilson did not endorse Question 3. Nine councilors on Thursday night offered comments in advance of the vote.