The Easthampton City Council and several residents gathered during the council’s regular meeting on Sept. 2 to discuss a resolution asking the city to divest from businesses that support Israel and Palestine.
Photo credit: E-Media
EASTHAMPTON — After more than an hour of public comment at its Sept. 2 meeting, the Easthampton City Council voted to move a resolution asking the city to divest from businesses that support Israel and Palestine to its Finance Committee.
After discussion at the committee level, the motion will return to the full council for further discussion and a possible vote of support.
More than two dozen people spoke about the proposed resolution. About two-thirds of them were in favor of it. The resolution calls for the City Council to urge “the city treasurer and the city retirement board to divest from, and refrain from future investments in, companies with a substantial, ongoing, and intentional complicity in violations of international law and human rights in Israel and Palestine.”
After public comment ended, several councilors echoed the same concerns as many of the people who spoke about the resolution. They said that they supported the resolution but felt like it was important for it to go through the Finance Committee to discuss possible ramifications and legal issues.
“I feel like I have the obligation,” said President Koni Denham, noting that it could go to Rules or Finance — ultimately deciding on Finance. Denham also said that she was deeply moved by the comments of those who spoke.
Finance Chair Thomas Peake noted that although the resolution is nonbinding, it does have the potential to create “powerful policy” and that it likely needed more discussion.
The people who spoke against the resolution mostly voiced concern about the resolution not being something the City Council should be addressing.
Owen Zaret, former city councilor, called the resolution “not the proper scope” for the council.
Cathy Wauczinski argued for the resolution to be sent to committee before it’s voted on. She called the resolution “virtue signaling.”
Several other speakers compared the resolution to a similar one in Northampton and noted that Northampton is now being sued for its resolution.
Those in favor of the resolution spoke of their right to have tax dollars support ethical businesses.
Sarah Carr said that residents should be “using the local financial power we have.”
The council’s discussion about the resolution comes over two years after the body passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. In a press release sent to Reminder Publishing, Easthampton Divest said it has received 475 signatures in support of a resolution, which has the backing of Jewish Voice for Peace Western MA.
The resolution is expected to be taken up by the Finance Committee in the next month or so and then return to the full council after that.
