If approved, Somerville would become the third Massachusetts municipality to adopt such a measure, following similar actions in Medford and Northampton.
The proposal follows a nonbinding ballot question approved by Somerville voters in November 2025. The measure passed with 55.7% of the vote and called on city officials to end business relationships with companies that "engage in business that sustains Israel’s apartheid, genocide and illegal occupation of Palestine."
On Nov. 25, 2025, the council adopted a resolution supporting divestment and pledged to "work toward passing an ordinance within a year."
On Wednesday, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and the Anti-Defamation League sent a letter to Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson and other city officials urging them to reject the proposal, calling it "flagrantly unconstitutional" and warning that its adoption could prompt legal challenges.
Richard Rosen, senior vice president for legal advocacy at the Brandeis Center, told JNS that the proposal comes amid rising Jew-hatred in the city.
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