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Israel-Related Divestment Policy Orders

At a glance

  • What: two policy orders from Councillors Al-Zubi and Sobrinho-Wheeler.
    • POR 2026-195 (packet, pp. ~2-8): asks the Cambridge Retirement Board and the OPEB Trust Fund trustee to divest from companies on the American Friends Service Committee divestment shortlist, and from Israel Bonds. It also asks the City Manager to add a matching clause to the Investment Policy in the Budget Book and to report back on feasibility within six months.
    • POR 2026-196 (packet): asks the City Manager to direct the City Solicitor to give the Ordinance Committee, before its hearing, an opinion under state procurement law (M.G.L. c. 30B) and federal law on the proposed ordinance to boycott companies described as complicit in Israel's actions in Palestine.
  • Where it stands: both were first before the council on Oct 19 (public comment ran until just before midnight; the Mayor's late order says more than 350 people spoke and thousands submitted written comments). On Oct 20 the council debated them in the continued session, which had no public comment. Vice Mayor Azeem exercised the charter right on POR 2026-195 and Nolan on POR 2026-196, postponing both. A late order (POR 2026-203, Mayor Siddiqui with Simmons) calling a special meeting the week of Oct 26 with no public comment was adopted 8-1 (Al-Zubi no).
  • Outcome (Oct 28): at the special meeting POR 2026-195 was adopted as amended by substitution, as amended, 5-4-0, and POR 2026-196 failed 4-5-0 (see City Council Special Meeting - October 28, 2026). The final amended text was not read; check the meeting's final actions. The proposed boycott ordinance itself remains with the Ordinance Committee.

Public comment on Oct 19

  • The Oct 19 regular meeting was given over to public comment on both orders: 352 people signed up, 350 speakers were called at one minute each (in person and on Zoom), and the council recessed just before midnight without debating either order. See 2026-10-19 - Regular City Council Meeting.
  • For: speakers said the city should not hold investments in weapons and surveillance companies, pointed to the 1980 South Africa divestment, and cited about $28 million in affected holdings (some said $20 million). Many wanted the orders passed as written, including the naming of genocide and apartheid.
  • Against: speakers said the orders single out one country, would make Jewish and Israeli residents and children less safe (several described bullying and harassment), rest on contested accusations, hand investment decisions to an outside group whose list the council does not control, and carry legal risk. A petition against the orders was reported at 650 signatures within two days, and several speakers urged a plain no vote and dialogue forums instead.
  • State Rep. Mike Connolly spoke out of order (9-0 suspension) in favor of divestment.
  • The 10 p.m. rule was waived to finish public comment (7-2, Flaherty and Simmons no).

Debate on Oct 20

  • For: Al-Zubi and Sobrinho-Wheeler (sponsors). Al-Zubi said the trusts hold about $3 million in a GE aerospace company, $2.6 million in Palantir and $18.2 million in other named defense contractors, roughly 1% of the pension fund; that every line is a request that binds no one; and cited Cambridge's earlier divestments (South Africa, fossil fuels and private prisons). Sobrinho-Wheeler, an Ordinance Committee co-chair, read from a 1980 Cambridge South Africa divestment order and said both orders carry practical and symbolic weight like other ordinances.
  • Order 8 (POR 2026-196): concerns new city contracts only and asks for a City Solicitor opinion under M.G.L. c. 30B and federal law before the Ordinance Committee hearing.
  • Concerns: Vice Mayor Azeem said he generally opposes foreign policy positions by the city but cannot draw the line at this issue, found the Oct 19 public comment moving (including accounts of antisemitism in the city), supports much of the substance, and wants a special meeting to work on language. Nolan said she could support divestment but not language that singles out one country, and tied the two orders together.
  • Special meeting order: Al-Zubi voted no because it removes public comment; McGovern said further hours of comment would prevent deliberation.
  • Discrepancy to note: the late order as read in the captions refers to public comment on "October 9th", apparently meaning Oct 19. The order says the week of Oct 26; the packet gives Oct 28, 3 to 5 p.m.

Sources

Discussion time

About 383 minutes across 2 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting Minutes
2026-10-20 - Continued City Council Meeting 24
2026-10-19 - Regular City Council Meeting 359

Log

  • 2026-10-28 - Special meeting: POR 2026-195 adopted as amended by substitution, as amended, 5-4-0 (yeas Al-Zubi, Azeem, McGovern, Sobrinho-Wheeler, Siddiqui; nays Flaherty, Nolan, Simmons, Zusy); POR 2026-196 failed 4-5-0. See 2026-10-28 - City Council Special Meeting.
  • 2026-10-22 - Added the Oct 19 public comment session from the meeting transcript.
  • 2026-10-22 - Corrected policy order numbers and added order text, sponsors and links from the council packets.
  • 2026-10-22 - Council special meeting set for Oct 28 to continue POR 2026-189, 2026-195 and 2026-196.
  • 2026-10-20 - Continued council session: debate on POR 2026-195 and 2026-196; charter right exercised on both (Vice Mayor Azeem, Nolan); POR 2026-203 adopted 8-1 calling a special meeting without public comment. See 2026-10-20 - Continued City Council Meeting.
  • 2026-10-19 - Regular meeting devoted to public comment on both orders (350 speakers); recessed to Oct 20 with no debate or vote. See 2026-10-19 - Regular City Council Meeting.
  • 2026-10-22 - Page created from public city materials (retrieved 2026-10-22); no meeting transcript processed yet.