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Somerville Council to Vote on Gaza-Linked Firm Ban

6/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Somerville City Council will vote on June 30 on an Ethical Procurement Ordinance that could bar contracts with firms linked to Israel’s Gaza actions.
The ADL logged 279 antisemitic incidents in Massachusetts last year and warned the ordinance would not improve safety for Jewish residents.
Jewish groups, including the Louis D. Brandeis Center, wrote to Mayor Jake Wilson urging rejection as unconstitutional and likely to spark costly litigation.

History

Historical Context

After the UN General Assembly condemned apartheid with Resolution 1761 in 1962, U.S. student campaigns in the 1970s spurred cities to bar contracts with firms linked to South Africa, leading to municipal divestment measures in the late 1970s. That precedent informs today’s Somerville City Council proposal, echoing the same civil-rights rationale amid a history of 23 nations enacting sanctions.

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Story summary

Somerville City Council will vote on June 30 on an Ethical Procurement Ordinance that could bar contracts with firms linked to Israel’s Gaza actions.
The ADL logged 279 antisemitic incidents in Massachusetts last year and warned the ordinance would not improve safety for Jewish residents.
Jewish groups, including the Louis D. Brandeis Center, wrote to Mayor Jake Wilson urging rejection as unconstitutional and likely to spark costly litigation.

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