Question to divest from Israel makes Nov. 4 Somerville ballot despite opposition
Somerville voters will have the chance to weigh in on the city's involvement in the war in Gaza this November after a challenge to a proposed ballot question failed.
The ballot question, which would call on city government to stop doing business with any companies with ties to Israel over the country's occupation of Palestine, had faced a legal challenge but was approved by the city's Elections Commission at a hearing Monday.
"The residents of Somerville deserve the opportunity to debate and decide on this measure for themselves," said Amina Awad, a Palestinian-American Somerville resident, in a statement. "In a democracy, we are owed the right to speak freely about our beliefs without retaliation, or the threat of violence, or intimidation."
The ballot question, known as Question 3, is nonbinding, but is meant to symbolically send a message to the City Council and mayor. Proponents said it was focused on large, multinational companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Caterpillar and Lockheed Martin.
It was initially brought to the City Council in March, where councilors instructed to organizers from the group Somerville for Palestine to collect signatures from 10% of registered voters, or about 5,200 people. They were able to collect more than 8,000 signatures.
On Oct. 1, a group called Somerville United Against Discrimination submitted an objection to the ballot measure, claiming that it was illegal and discriminatory. In a statement shared on social media Monday, the group wrote that the question "does not help Palestinians, and instead harms Somerville by sowing division and distracting from pressing local issues."
"This proposal is illegal, discriminatory and will likely lead to lawsuits," SUAD Chair Sam Gechter said, adding that the group would "keep all legal options open."
The group, which describes itself as made up of "Jewish residents of Somerville and their allies who oppose Question 3," also claimed that the signatures collected by Somerville for Palestine were fraudulent. The Elections Commission determined at Monday's hearing, however, that there was no evidence to support this.
Supporters held a rally before Monday's hearing before providing testimony in favor of including Question 3 on the Nov. 4 ballot.
"I strongly believe that all of our neighbors should have a say in where their taxes go and to determine whether our municipal funds will be invested in building schools in our community or blowing them up in Gaza," said City Councilor and mayoral candidate Willie Burnley Jr. "If we are unable to even decide whether our City will remain complicit in genocidal acts, then our democracy itself will be degraded."
The news came the day before Oct. 7, the two-year anniversary of the Hamas attack in Israel that killed hundreds of people.
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