ATTENTION MASSACHUSETTS READERS

City clashes on divestment
The City Council of Somerville, Mass., considered a resolution to dump city holdings in Israel. A vote was delayed until Dec. 7, and Mayor Joseph Curtatone, who spoke against the resolution at Monday night’s meeting, said he would veto it, according to the Boston Globe, which noted that lawmakers could not recall another resolution that had prompted such impassioned debate.

The local Jewish Community Relations Council was “troubled” by the crowd of activists evenly split on the resolution, which urges city investors to “divest from companies involved with Israel’s human rights violations and from Israel Bonds.” JCRC executive director Nancy Kaufman, who organized local leaders to speak against the move, said those in favor of the resolution enlisted the support of Israeli soldiers who refuse to serve in the army, many non-Somerville residents, and members of the Jewish community. “It’s a sad day when we as Jews are advocating for divestment in Israel,” Kaufman said. This is “just the beginning of something that we’re going to see more of across the country.”