Northampton City Council Unanimously Votes on Israel Divestment

Following increased community advocacy, the Northampton City Council unanimously voted to divest from companies it believes are complicit in human rights violations in the war in Gaza and in the West Bank on Sept. 18.

The resolution built on two previous Northampton resolutions: A call for a ceasefire in Gaza and a decision to support Senator Bernie Sanders’s embargo on military aid to Israel. In addition, the resolution was inspired by the 2013 fossil fuel divestment resolution. 

Following Medford’s June 24 vote, Northampton is now the second city in Massachusetts to pass divestment legislation. 

“This win in Northampton had a ripple effect, as lots of other towns in Western Mass., New England, and Connecticut are following,” said Eve Glazier, one of the divestment campaign's community organizers.

Currently, Northampton invests $71,000 into companies complicit in these human rights violations, according to the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). The resolution aims to divest from companies such as RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies Corporation, the second-largest defense company in the world, which contracts with the Israeli military. 

“[Divestment] actually gives those industries a chance to self-correct. And they can get off that list if they do so,” city council member Rachel Maiore said. “So to me, it’s an opportunity for these entities to reevaluate what they’re doing in the world.”

The resolution came to fruition through the work of advocacy groups like Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP) Western Mass, one of two JVP chapters in Massachusetts (the other being in Boston). A national grassroots organization, JVP is the largest Jewish anti-Zionist group. 

“I think it’s [to] the credit [of] the community activists who I believe met with every counselor they could to lay the foundation,” Maiore said. “I think it was really just purely the grit and dedication of activists.”

Groups like JVP spent the past year and a half working on community outreach through tabling in the community, protests, and political education events. 

“I was shocked by the vast number of community members who were supportive, and the incredibly broad consensus regarding ethical investment,” said Glazier, also a member of JVP Western Mass. “Young, old, students, Northampton residents, Jews, Muslims, and Palestinians all showed support.”

During the city council meeting in which the resolution was passed, 41 community members spoke in favor of the resolution. Historically, resolutions are voted on in the meeting after they are presented. However, after impactful public comments were made, a city councilor who was not a sponsor of the resolution made a motion to suspend council rules and instead vote in that same meeting. 

Despite overwhelming support, some Northampton city council members voiced concerns about the resolution and fears of dividing communities. 

“We had a lot of pushback after the fact. I probably got 2,000 emails from Zionist organizations after our ceasefire resolution,” Maiore said. “All we can really do is try to create an environment where everyone has equal time and can say their piece.”

The next step in divestment is for the mayor and treasurer of Northampton to negotiate and determine financial logistics. The city council members have developed a two-year plan to ensure divestment will occur, along with more ethical investing in the future.

“I think it’s the power of mindfulness. I think once you perk up to even thinking about where [I am] putting my money, I think it has an overall effect of keeping that lens on,” Maoire said.