2026-10-19 - Regular City Council Meeting

00:56A quorum of the city council being

00:58present, I call tonight's October 19th

01:00regular 2026 meeting of the Cambridge

01:03City Council to order. The first order

01:05of business is a roll call of members

01:06present.

01:07>> Councilor Zuby.

01:09>> Present. Vice Mayor Azeem.

01:10>> Present.

01:10>> Present. Councilor Flaherty.

01:12>> Present.

01:13>> Present. Councilor McGovern.

01:15Present. Councilor Nolan.

01:18Absent. Councilor Simmons.

01:20>> Present.

01:20>> Present. Councilor Sabrina Wheeler.

01:22>> Present.

01:22>> Present. Councilor Zuse.

01:25Absent. Mayor Siddiqui.

01:26>> Present.

01:27>> Present. You have seven members recorded

01:29as present and two recorded as absent.

01:30>> Please join me if you can in the pledge

01:32of allegiance and pause for a moment of

01:34silence.

01:34>> And Madam Mayor, as we pause for a

01:37moment of silence, can we remember Lisa

01:39Dietrich, who was the long-standing

01:43director of the Cambridge Port, was it?

01:46No.

01:47The daycare center on Chestnut Street,

01:49and she recently passed away, and I

01:50think it'd be fitting that we at least

01:52acknowledge her in a moment of silence.

01:54>> Absolutely.

01:55>> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the

01:58United States of America and to the

02:00republic for which it stands, one nation

02:03under God, indivisible, with liberty and

02:06justice for all.

02:18And counselor Nolan, you are present.

02:21Per chapter 2 the acts of 2025 adopted

02:24by Massachusetts General Court and

02:25approved by the governor, the city is

02:27authorized to use remote participation

02:29at meetings of the Cambridge City

02:30Council. In addition to having members

02:32of the council participate remotely,

02:34we've set up Zoom teleconference for

02:36public comment. You can also view the

02:38meeting via the city's open meeting

02:40portal or on the city's cable channel

02:4222.

02:44We welcome your participation and you

02:45can sign up to speak until public

02:47comment begins. Please note that the

02:49city of Cambridge audio and video

02:50records this meeting and makes it

02:53available to the public for future

02:54viewing. In addition, third parties may

02:56also be audio and video recording this

02:58meeting.

02:59Any announcements from the body?

03:03Hearing no announcements, one thing I'd

03:04like to do before we get into public

03:06comment is just to suspend the rules to

03:09bring forward the city manager's agenda

03:11item just to know that what folks would

03:13like to pull.

03:15So, on suspension,

03:17all those in favor say I. I.

03:20>> can't do that. You don't have to say.

03:23Yes, she's got it. Yeah, she's not

03:24coming.

03:25>> Yeah, all those in favor say I. I, those

03:27against say no. The eyes have it. We are

03:29in suspension, so we will go to the city

03:31manager's agenda and the purpose is to

03:33pull items that you'd like to discuss at

03:36a future point. Counselor Nolan.

03:38Yeah, I'm going to counselor Nolan and

03:40then I'll go to you, counselor Simmons.

03:41Yes.

03:42>> Point of information is that these that

03:43means that these will be discussed

03:45tomorrow at the continuance of the

03:46meeting, correct?

03:47>> Most likely. Yes, because we will likely

03:49not get to the

03:51some of the items for today's agenda

03:53given how many people we have public

03:55comment, but I did want to give notice

03:57to

03:58just so we know who needs to be here in

04:00the morning. Councillor Nolan?

04:02>> Yes. So, I would pull number five.

04:06>> Councillor Nolan pulls number five.

04:08>> Madam Mayor.

04:09>> Yes, Councillor Simmons?

04:12>> It's already been pulled. Thank you.

04:13>> Okay.

04:13>> Madam Mayor.

04:14>> Councillor Alzubi.

04:15>> I'd like to pull four, but we won't need

04:17staff for it cuz it'll just be a

04:18referral to the public safety committee.

04:21>> Okay, so you're you're going to pull

04:23four.

04:25And any other items? I know that

04:28Councillor Zucchi had

04:30she had number two.

04:33Let me just confirm what she had.

04:36She had five and 12. So,

04:40we already pulled five and we'll go

04:41ahead and pull 12. So, we have pulled

04:45number four, five

04:49and 12.

04:50And hearing else on the balance of the

04:53remainder of the items, number one, two,

04:56three,

04:58six, seven, eight, nine, 10, and 11,

05:03we'll do a roll call on adopting,

05:05approving, and placing on file the

05:07balance.

05:07>> Councillor Alzubi.

05:08>> Yes.

05:09>> Yes, Vice Mayor Azeem.

05:10>> Yes.

05:10>> Yes, Councillor Flaherty.

05:12>> Yes.

05:12>> Yes, Councillor McGovern.

05:13>> Yes.

05:14>> Yes, Councillor Nolan.

05:15>> Yes.

05:15>> Yes, Councillor Simmons.

05:17>> Yes.

05:17>> Yes, Councillor Sabrina Wheeler.

05:19>> Yes.

05:19>> Yes, Councillor Zucchi.

05:22Absent. Council I'm sorry, Mayor

05:23Siddiqui.

05:24>> Yes.

05:24>> Yes, and you have eight members recorded

05:26in the affirmative and one recorded as

05:27absent.

05:33All right, we have disposed of the items

05:35that we had wanted for the City Manager

05:37agenda and so now we will go into public

05:40comment. Before we go into public

05:41comment, I wanted to just take a moment

05:43to set the stage for tonight. Right now

05:45we have 352 people who've signed up to

05:48speak and many are here to comment on

05:52the two policy orders on our agenda.

05:54I want to thank everyone for being here

05:56and joining us tonight to share your

05:58voice.

05:59I really have one goal for tonight,

06:01which is to make sure that everyone is

06:03heard.

06:05This is a very challenging topic and I

06:08know people hold strong views

06:10on all sides and public comment is one

06:14of the most direct ways residents can

06:16speak to their government and I want to

06:18So I want to really say this clearly. We

06:21as a body are committed to protecting

06:23everyone's First Amendment rights,

06:26including the right to express views

06:27that others may find offensive. At the

06:30same time, we expect everyone to follow

06:33our meeting rules.

06:34We can strongly reject hateful rhetoric

06:37while respecting constitutional

06:38protections. Our responsibility is to

06:41ensure that everyone

06:43has an opportunity to participate safely

06:45and that this meeting proceeds in an

06:47orderly manner.

06:49That's why it's so important that we all

06:51adhere to our rules of courtesy,

06:53which I'd like to remind everyone.

06:55And I'm sure I'll be reminding folks as

06:57the

06:58meeting goes on, but I wanted to put

07:00these up front. Signs are not permitted

07:02in the chamber or in the overflow areas,

07:04including the hallways.

07:06Food and beverages are not permitted in

07:07the chamber. Those participating during

07:10public comment may address only items on

07:12tonight's agenda and comments must be

07:14addressed to the city council as a body

07:16through me,

07:17the chair, and not any individual

07:19member.

07:21We will not tolerate disruptive behavior

07:23from those speaking or in the audience,

07:25such as fighting words, slander,

07:27unreasonably loud or repetitive speech,

07:30and speech so disruptive that the city

07:32council proceedings

07:34will be substantially interrupted. So

07:37for members in the audience, this

07:39includes clapping and making noise.

07:41So just be aware clapping and noises

07:44among that. And if you engage in these

07:47behaviors,

07:48uh

07:49there will be some warning, but I will

07:51have to ask you to leave per our City

07:52Council rules. And if disruptions become

07:55a repeated problem, we will have to re-

07:57recess.

07:58Uh and so, I wanted to just get that out

08:01up front. These rules really matter.

08:04They help us maintain order, and the

08:06order matters because we want this to be

08:08a welcoming space for everyone. Every

08:10single member of the public, whatever

08:11their position, should feel comfortable

08:13stepping up to this microphone and being

08:15heard. And that's one of our core values

08:17as a council and as a community. And

08:20it's what we're committed to protecting

08:21tonight.

08:22Our

08:23rules state that our meeting recesses at

08:2610:00 and continues to another session.

08:28We have noticed a second meeting for

08:30tomorrow morning at 9:00, but our goal

08:31really is to get through public comment

08:33tonight if it is if it's the will of the

08:35body. So, this could be a late night.

08:38Should you wish to leave and join

08:40remotely, we have handouts going around

08:42with participation instructions that you

08:43can use for tonight and tomorrow

08:45morning. I want to thank everyone in

08:46advance for the cooperation and your

08:48respect for one another. With that, we

08:51will move into public comment. Public

08:53comment may be made in accordance with

08:55Massachusetts General Laws 30A, section

08:57section 20G, and the City Council Rules

09:0023D and 37. Once you finish speaking,

09:03the next speaker will be called.

09:05Individuals are not permitted to

09:06allocate the remainder of their time to

09:08other speakers. I ask that you state

09:11your name and address for the record and

09:12the item on the agenda that you're

09:14speaking on.

09:16There are 350 speakers signed up. Each

09:18speaker will have 1 minute.

09:22So,

09:24with that, I have Naomi, who if you'd

09:26like to say a few words before we start

09:27public comment, feel free, but you will

09:29be navigating the public comment.

09:32So, I thank you for that.

09:33>> Just a quick reminder to folks, um the

09:35timer will be on screen. When your time

09:37runs out, I may prompt you to email us

09:40the remainder of your comment. You can

09:41always send your comments to Cambridge

09:43uh City Council at cambridgema.gov.

09:46And as the mayor said, we want to hear

09:48everybody tonight and so we're going to

09:50do our best to get through this list.

09:53>> So, I do have before I go to you, um, I

09:56have to go to I have C a hand from

09:58Councillor Zusi. Councillor Zusi.

10:01>> I just wanted to make sure you knew I

10:02was here.

10:03>> Yes, you are recorded as present.

10:07Please continue.

10:08>> And with that, our first speaker

10:11Sorry, just another note. For folks who

10:13are sitting up in the balcony, I'm going

10:15to try to say three names at a time so

10:17people have a little bit of advance

10:19notice to know if you need to come

10:20downstairs. Um, when you're at the mic,

10:23press the button, the green light

10:24indicates it's on. For people

10:26participating via Zoom, when your name

10:28is called, I will unmute you on our end,

10:31you need to unmute yourself on your end

10:33and go ahead and you will be muted again

10:35when your time expires. Our first

10:37speaker is Steven Salucci, followed by

10:40Noah Roth, then Piper Winkler.

10:44>> Good evening, Council. My name is Steven

10:46Salucci. I'm a third-generation

10:48Cambridge resident and a parent of a

10:50child in the public schools. Here to

10:52talk about policy order seven and eight.

10:55Part of parenting for me has been facing

10:58grief about the fact that there's no way

11:00to ensure total safety for my child.

11:02But there are things we can do to make

11:04the world more safe for everyone.

11:07Ending our city's business with

11:09companies that profit from Israel's

11:11genocide of Palestinians is one of those

11:12things.

11:14That's what these policy orders would

11:15do.

11:16They would not target Jewish people or

11:19businesses.

11:20They target companies like Lockheed and

11:22Raytheon because of their conduct. These

11:24companies are selling weapons to Israel

11:27that are being used to target, kill, and

11:28maim thousands of children according to

11:30the UNHRC. We can do something about it,

11:32just like we did something about South

11:34African apartheid in 1980. I want our

11:36city to divest from these companies, and

11:39I want Cambridge to name Israel's

11:40genocide of Palestinians as the reason

11:42why. This is why I support the policy

11:43orders and will hold deep respect for

11:45those of you who vote for them. Thank

11:46you.

11:47>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Noah

11:49Roth, followed by Piper Winkler, then B

11:52Feinberg. Noah, please go ahead.

11:56>> My name is Noah. I live on Hammond

11:58Street.

11:59This policy has nothing to do with the

12:01Palestinian people.

12:03It will not change the policy of the

12:05Israeli government.

12:07This is not the Senate.

12:09This policy is about hate and division.

12:12I'm a proud Israeli, a proud Jew, a

12:15proud Zionist, and I'm also a proud

12:18member of this community.

12:21I raise Israeli-American kids who attend

12:23Cambridge public schools. When the city

12:25singles them out, they become a target.

12:28We are already unsafe here. My kids'

12:30Jewish daycare has hired an armed

12:32bodyguard since October 7th. Here, in

12:36Cambridge.

12:38This policy order will not help a single

12:40Palestinian child, but it will put a

12:42target on Jewish and Israeli children in

12:45Cambridge, on my children.

12:48Please, choose dialogue over boycott.

12:50Choose unity over hate. Choose our

12:53community. Thank you.

12:56>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Piper

12:58Winkler, followed by B Feinberg, then

13:01Hope Turner.

13:03Please go ahead.

13:05>> Hi, uh my name is Piper, and I'm a

13:06Cambridge Port resident. Thanks to the

13:08public map participatory budgeting

13:10proposals, we know exactly what

13:11Cambridge residents want the city to do

13:13with our money. Here are some of the

13:15proposals. Solar panels for the high

13:17school, bathrooms at at local parks,

13:19free school supplies, city-run grocery

13:21store to combat food insecurity among

13:23our neighbors. Instead of supporting

13:24projects like these, improving quality

13:26of life, and bringing our community

13:28together, $28 million in public funds

13:31are currently invested in Israel's

13:32ongoing genocide of the Palestinian

13:34people. The very last thing that I and

13:36thousands of other residents want is for

13:38our money to make it possible for

13:39Lockheed, Raytheon, Palantir, Elbit, and

13:42other defense and surveillance

13:43corporations to enable the mass killings

13:45and torture of hundreds of thousands of

13:47people. We won't be the first city to

13:49vote to divest from this genocide, and

13:51we already know that it can be done. You

13:52have the power to to add our city to a

13:55growing list of communities across the

13:57country standing on the right side of

13:58history. Please use that power. Thank

14:00you.

14:01>> Thank you. Our next speaker is B.

14:03Feinberg, followed by Hope Turner, then

14:05Mo Casey.

14:07B, please go ahead.

14:09>> B. Feinberg, East Cambridge. I am

14:11offended as a Jew taught never again by

14:13Holocaust survivors in Hebrew school

14:15that we have counselors representing us

14:17who declare that Israel is not

14:19committing a genocide despite the word

14:21of the UN, Amnesty International, the

14:23World Scholars on Genocide and the

14:24Holocaust, plus constant access to the

14:26massacre, ethnic cleansing, and

14:28starvation of Palestinians we can view

14:30scrolling our phones. So, I must speak

14:33to the counselors who recognize that

14:35this genocide is going on because it is

14:37simple. We, the taxpayers of Cambridge,

14:40me and my Jewish community paying

14:41property and commercial taxes in

14:43Cambridge, simply do not want the city's

14:45financial stamp of approval on those

14:48weapons slaughtering children and

14:49families. We don't want to empower these

14:52companies listed in the ordinance to

14:53kill more. No more of our dollars

14:56funding Israel's apartheid government.

14:58If you know this is a genocide and you

14:59want to look yourself in the mirror

15:01tomorrow, do the right thing. Vote yes,

15:04no changes.

15:06>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Hope

15:08Turner.

15:13Hope, please unmute yourself. You have

15:15the floor. You have 1 minute.

15:20>> Hi, can you hear me?

15:22>> We can. Please go ahead.

15:24>> Hi, my name is Hope Turner and I'm a

15:25Cambridge resident.

15:27I'm speaking to policy orders 7 and 8

15:30and I'm speaking to you as a parent this

15:32evening.

15:33You can't see me, but I'm wearing a

15:35shirt that says all children are our

15:38children.

15:39As James Baldwin wrote, the children are

15:42always ours, every single one of them

15:45all over the globe.

15:47And I'm beginning to suspect that

15:49whoever is incapable of recognizing this

15:52may be incapable of morality.

15:55We know that the genocide in Gaza has

15:57killed at least 21,000 children.

15:59We know that Gaza has the highest number

16:01of child amputees per capita anywhere in

16:04the world.

16:05How can we not do everything in our

16:07power to stop this?

16:09Councilors, I'm asking you to do what's

16:11in your power right now by voting to

16:13divest from and boycott companies

16:15complicit in Israel's apartheid,

16:18genocide, and illegal occupation of

16:20Palestine. Thank you.

16:22>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Mo Casey,

16:25followed by Ori Porat, then Mayan

16:28Showen.

16:29Mo, please go ahead. 1 minute.

16:31>> My name is Mo Katz-Christy. I was born

16:34and raised in Cambridge and attend

16:35services regularly at the Tremont Street

16:37Shul and Minyan Zeite.

16:39As an Ashkenazi Jewish herbalist, I

16:41think a lot about the generational

16:42trauma of genocide. I work with

16:44countless Ashkenazi Jews who, like

16:46myself, hold trauma from a genocide

16:48thousands of miles away and generations

16:50ago in our bodies. As I do this work, I

16:53wonder, could this have been prevented?

16:55How many Cambridge residents could have

16:57been spared the generational effects of

16:59starvation, of trauma, of a

17:01hyper-vigilant nervous system, of the

17:03fear that leads us to the erroneous

17:04belief that our safety is conditioned on

17:06the oppression of others?

17:08When this is all over and Palestine is

17:10free, how many generations of

17:12Palestinians will carry this in their

17:13bodies? How much of that generational

17:16trauma is preventable? How much can you

17:18prevent today by voting to take our

17:20Cambridge tax dollars out of genocide?

17:23Jews are required to tell the story of

17:25liberation every year at our Passover

17:26seders to pass them down from generation

17:29to generation until we are all free.

17:31Vote yes to boycott and divest from

17:33genocide and finally be free.

17:35>> email us the remainder of your comment.

17:37Our next speaker is Ori Porath followed

17:40by Mayaan Showin then Chris M.

17:45>> Hello everyone. Good evening. My name is

17:46Ori Porath. I've lived in Cambridge for

17:4916 years now. Both my kids were born and

17:52raised here. And let me tell you this

17:55policy order is not about Israel. It's

17:59not about protecting Palestinians. It's

18:02not about helping anyone. It's just

18:05motivated by pure hate.

18:07And I can tell you that being a child in

18:10Cambridge if your parents are Israeli

18:12means you get bullied, assaulted,

18:15harassed, called out, spit on, pushed

18:18for no reason other than where your

18:21parents were born in a country that

18:23you've never had anything to do with.

18:26So, I urge you to vote no against this

18:28policy order and I will remind you that

18:31the people who brought this policy order

18:33and who support it are the same people

18:35that literally had a street party right

18:37here in front of City Hall on October

18:399th two days into the Hamas massacre and

18:43the invitation for that party went out

18:45on the morning of October 7th. Think

18:47about that. Thank you.

18:48>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Mayaan

18:50Showin followed by Chris M then Adi

18:53Peleg. Mayaan, 1 minute.

18:57>> Mayaan Showin, Harvard Law School. Thank

18:59you. Today is an opportunity to take a

19:01moral stand against the mob. I urge the

19:04Cambridge City Council to reject this

19:05BDS resolution. Just because loud voices

19:08have commandeered the language of

19:09oppression does not make them just or

19:12true. This resolution presents grave

19:13accusations of genocide and apartheid as

19:15facts despite serious disagreement among

19:17military and legal experts. Reducing a

19:20devastating conflict to political

19:21slogans does not advance justice for

19:23Israelis or Palestinians. I was in

19:25Israel on October 7th when Hamas invaded

19:27Israel, massacred, raped, and kidnapped,

19:29launching this war. I visited the

19:31devastated border community shortly

19:33afterward. I saw firsthand the aftermath

19:35of what a mob poisoned by hatred can do.

19:37Yet, this resolution makes no mention of

19:39Hamas. It is morally bankrupt to

19:41economically punish the victims of a

19:43relentless terror campaign for defending

19:44themselves. Palestinian civilians are

19:46also the victims of Hamas. The

19:48propaganda this resolution pushes is

19:49exactly what Hamas wants. If you want to

19:51support Palestinians, don't reward

19:53Hamas's terror. Reject BDS and let us

19:55bravely stand for the truth even when

19:57it's not easy. Thank you.

19:58>> Our next speaker is Chris M followed by

20:01Adi Peleg, then Cara

20:04Sederman.

20:06Chris, please go ahead. 1 minute.

20:08>> Hi, my name is Chris. I've lived in

20:10Cambridge for 8 years. Um, Cambridge

20:12should divest from companies complicit

20:14in Israel's genocide of Palestinians so

20:16that our community members don't have to

20:18have their tax dollars going towards

20:20companies that are ruining their

20:21families' lives.

20:22My friend, a Cambridge resident, who has

20:25family in North Gaza,

20:27in November 2023, his next-door

20:29neighbor's house was bombed by the IOF,

20:31destroying his home while his family was

20:33inside of it.

20:35In January 2025, his brother was injured

20:37by an IOF drone and had 10 pieces of

20:40shrapnel from his ankle to his neck.

20:42His dad lost 50 lb due to the

20:45Israeli-induced famine.

20:47I I could go on here, um, but the point

20:49is that these atrocities would not be

20:51possible without funding from the US,

20:53and some of that 28 million comes from

20:55Cambridge. For the councilors who know

20:58this is a genocide, divestment is the

21:00only option.

21:01Free the one line in our lifetime.

21:05>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Adi

21:09Peleg followed by Cara Seiderman, then

21:12Rotem Spiegler. Adi, please go ahead. 1

21:15minute.

21:16>> Hello. My name is Adi Peleg. And I live

21:18at 43 Elling Avenue here in Cambridge.

21:21Uh I'm here to speak about orders 195

21:23and 196.

21:24Um my parents were born and raised in

21:26Morocco.

21:27Uh throughout their childhood, they were

21:29targeted for being Jewish. Uh they were

21:32harassed in the streets. They were

21:33barred barred from entering uh uh many

21:36places, which will probably happen here

21:38as we are if if this goes through. Uh my

21:40grandfather was not allowed to own a

21:42business because he was Jewish. So, he

21:45had to have his neighbor, his Muslim

21:46neighbor, be the the owner. He wasn't

21:49allowed to sell in some markets because

21:51of, you know, anti-Zionists. Uh although

21:53he didn't know what was Zionism back in

21:55the day, but doesn't matter. Uh he was

21:58beaten occasionally and just because he

22:00was Jewish.

22:01I'm deeply afraid that these orders will

22:03create the same unsafe environment for

22:05my children here in Cambridge. I don't

22:07want my kids to hide their identity. I

22:09don't want them to be singled out and

22:11harassed here just as happening in other

22:13places in the world. I implore you to

22:16vote no so my kids and other families

22:18can feel safe in Cambridge.

22:19>> Thank you, Adi. We're going to go on to

22:21our next speaker. We are at speaker

22:23number 11, Cara Seiderman, followed by

22:26Rotem Spiegler.

22:33Cara, you have the floor.

22:35>> Good evening.

22:37The overwhelming majority of Cambridge

22:38voters do not want these resolutions

22:40passed. When we saw the text of the

22:42proposals, a group of Cambridge

22:43residents created a petition to ask you,

22:45the council, to just say no. Since

22:48Saturday, almost uh 650 people who live,

22:52work, and study in Cambridge have

22:53signed.

22:55And we have um submitted copies of the

22:58petition to the council from this

23:00morning, but since then more than 100

23:03additional people have signed.

23:06So you clearly have the support in the

23:07community to just vote this down.

23:09Encourage you to read the communities

23:11reasons in the package that has been

23:13delivered to you. You can see that

23:14people are scared and feeling personally

23:16targeted. These are powerful statements

23:19from older people, younger adults,

23:21students, people with children, people

23:22who have lived here a long time and

23:24people who are new. The people who

23:26signed to are from many different

23:27backgrounds in Cambridge. We have We may

23:30have different opinions about how

23:31international conflict should be

23:33addressed but we care deeply about

23:35Cambridge and urge you to vote no. Thank

23:37you.

23:38>> Our next speaker is Rotem Spiegler

23:40followed by Selina H then Melissa

23:43Levine. Rotem?

23:46>> I'm Rotem. I'm from Oxford Street and

23:49HLI Salem.

23:51In the days after October 7th while our

23:52families in Israel were still recovering

23:54the remains of the loved ones murdered

23:55by Hamas, people here at home in

23:57Cambridge were celebrating liberation

23:59and already arguing for genocide. Israel

24:02has not even entered Gaza yet.

24:04After that the hostility my own family

24:06experienced here in Cambridge became so

24:07severe we had to transfer our daughter

24:09from Cambridge public schools since it

24:10did not feel safe. She was five.

24:13No child regardless of their families

24:14origin should experience this. Yet three

24:17years later I know only of one Jewish

24:18Muslim healing circle organized in

24:20response by the school system.

24:22Instead of

24:23investing in dialogue and healing this

24:25council is considering resolutions that

24:27would

24:28turn highly disputed accusations of

24:30genocide and apartheid into official

24:32city policy. Cambridge cannot resolve

24:34the Middle East conflict but it can

24:36decide whether to deepen their their

24:37vision here at home or help heal it.

24:40Reject BDS. Invest in dialogue,

24:42education and healing not further

24:44division.

24:45>> Our next speaker is Selina H followed by

24:48Melissa Levine then Wassim Kadir.

24:51Selina, 1 minute.

24:53>> My name is Selina and I've been a

24:54resident of Cambridge in Central Square

24:56for over two years.

24:58I'm also the daughter of Lebanese

24:59immigrants. I watch every day as the

25:01place I call home today threatens my

25:03home across the ocean, the home of my

25:05aunts and uncles and cousins, of my

25:07grandparents and their grandparents. We

25:09object to $28 million being invested in

25:12companies that aid, enable, and profit

25:15from unconscionable acts of violence

25:16against the innocents in Palestine.

25:19This violence also infects us in

25:20Cambridge, too.

25:22These very companies provide

25:23surveillance technology that ICE uses to

25:25terrorize the residents of Cambridge.

25:27The safety of the people of Cambridge is

25:29deeply, irrevocably intertwined with the

25:31safety of people in Palestine.

25:34And we cannot stand for or enable our

25:36city to continue to enable violence here

25:39or afar.

25:40Let Cambridge be a city that leads in

25:42the fight for justice everywhere. Let us

25:44be one of the first US cities to set an

25:46example and name the accelerant genocide

25:48in Palestine and name Israel as the

25:50instigator of that genocide. Thank you.

25:53>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Melissa

25:54Lamine, followed by Wassim Kadir, then

25:58Ellie H. Melissa, 1 minute.

26:01>> I moved here in 2021 because I believed

26:04the big tent of liberal values in

26:06Cambridge, human rights, safe streets,

26:08gun control, a community where everyone

26:10belongs. My move was here 3 months

26:12before the first BDS resolution. Since

26:15then, I've learned that this big tent

26:16has an asterisk. Inclusion and belonging

26:18does not extend to Jews. The job of the

26:21council is to govern, not to use time

26:23and resources to take sides in a complex

26:25international conflict. Address local

26:27needs, protect the residents, and ensure

26:29that our city values apply equally to

26:31everyone. We are not solving anything

26:33tonight by this performance. A

26:35resolution that singles out one country

26:37with no comparable standard, including

26:39our own government, is not policy. It's

26:41a selective political political

26:43targeting. Cambridge's entire emergency

26:45communication system relies on Israeli

26:47technology. If we're unwilling to spend

26:49millions required to replace it, what

26:51does this resolution accomplish?

26:53Symbolism is not solidarity and

26:55political theater does not help

26:56Palestinians. Reject this again. Turn

26:58down the flames. Hear us. When things go

27:01wrong, and they will

27:02>> has expired. Please email us the

27:04remainder. Our next speaker is Wasim

27:07Kadir, followed by Ellie H, then Alex

27:10Sawadi. Wasim, you

27:12>> Yes, Councillor McGovern.

27:13>> I want to remind people again not with

27:16the hand gestures, the thumbs down, the

27:18all that kind of stuff. It's just

27:19antagonizing

27:21people, and then we're going to things

27:22are going to go south. So, please,

27:24folks, if you disagree with what people

27:26are saying, that's fine, but please

27:28don't make any hand gestures or things

27:30that are going to intimidate people or

27:32make people feel uncomfortable,

27:33regardless of what side of this issue

27:35you're on. Thank you.

27:38>> Our next speaker is Wasim Kadir. Wasim,

27:41give us 1 second. We have a siren going

27:43by.

27:46Wasim, you have the floor. Please unmute

27:47yourself. 1 minute.

27:50>> My name is Wasim Kadir. I've lived in

27:52Cambridge for 20 years and have two

27:53girls in public school.

27:55As a father, it pained me to see

27:572-year-old Maryam watch her mother burn

27:59to death after Israel bombed her

28:00apartment building last week.

28:03As a former lawyer, I can tell you that

28:04bombing apartments and tents during a

28:06cease-fire is wrong. And I can remind

28:09you that the ICJ already concluded in

28:112024 that Israel is practicing

28:13apartheid. I don't want any of my city's

28:15tax dollars tax dollars for investments

28:17enabling genocide and apartheid. And

28:20unless you believe in a hierarchy of

28:21human life based on religion or skin

28:23color, I urge you to divest from Israel.

28:26When this council voted for divestment

28:28from South Africa,

28:29supporters of the apartheid system no

28:31doubt came to you with their

28:32rationalizations and hurt feelings. This

28:35council was brave enough to do the right

28:37thing then, and today is your turn. Your

28:39grandchildren and future generations of

28:41Cantabrigians will know how you acted.

28:43Thank you.

28:45>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Ellie H,

28:47followed by Alex Sawadi, then Greg

28:50Hirsch. Ellie?

28:54>> Hi.

28:55My name is Ellie Hood. I live in Central

28:57Square, right down the street. Um I'm

29:00here as a young person, a Cambridge

29:01resident, a student of public health,

29:04and a child care worker, and a believer

29:06in doing the right thing as my Jewish

29:08family raised me.

29:09This isn't about me, though, and how I

29:12feel. This isn't really about anything

29:15except for the millions of lives being

29:18displaced, destroyed, and permanently

29:21altered.

29:22There is nothing that anyone can say

29:23tonight that make these atrocities any

29:26less real.

29:27This is an uncomfortable truth to live

29:29with,

29:30and it evokes a lot of feelings, but it

29:32is truth, and it is about more than us

29:33in this room.

29:35This is an opportunity to withhold real

29:37money

29:38that prevents real bombs from falling on

29:41real people and children.

29:43This is truly urgent. You must vote to

29:45divest from Israel and the genocide on

29:47Palestinians. Thank you. Free Palestine.

29:51Thank you. Our next speaker is Alex

29:53Sawadi, followed by Greg Hirsch, then

29:56Dahlia H. Alex, you have the floor.

29:59Please go ahead. 1 minute.

30:03>> My name is Alex Sawadi. I live in North

30:05Cambridge, and I'm speaking on agenda

30:07item seven and eight. As a 19-year-old

30:09Jewish and Israeli trans man, I've been

30:11discriminated against based on national

30:12origin many times. I'm a member of a

30:15band, and as soon as they find out I'm

30:16Israeli, they refuse to book my punk

30:18band based purely on their perception

30:20that my national origin means I'm

30:21supporter of genocide. I've been kicked

30:23out of trans spaces purely because I am

30:25an Israeli. These policy orders are

30:28singling out one country as uniquely

30:30evil, which gives Cambridge residents

30:32permission to exclude us based purely on

30:33where we are from.

30:35These policy orders send the message

30:36that being Israeli is cause for

30:38discriminating against me. Cambridge

30:40provides prides itself on being

30:41non-discriminatory, and these policy

30:43orders directly go against that ideal. I

30:45feel unwelcomed in Cambridge based on my

30:48national origin. I urge you to vote no.

30:50Encourage Cambridge to live up to its

30:51inclusive ideals and do not give

30:54anti-Semites permission to discriminate.

30:56Thank you.

30:57>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Greg

31:00Hersh followed by Dalia H, then Itamar

31:03Turner Choring.

31:05Greg, please go ahead.

31:06>> Shalom. I'm Rabbi Greg Hersh and around

31:08a year ago I founded Vehafa, a Judaism

31:10beyond Zionism synagogue in Cambridge.

31:13For hundreds of Jewish people here being

31:14proudly Jewish entails being

31:16anti-Zionist. We embrace the Torah's

31:18wisdom to not murder or steal and we

31:21pursue peace and justice. We honor the

31:23Holocaust by proclaiming that never

31:24again means never again for anyone and

31:26that never again is now.

31:28Growing up my parents taught me not to

31:30buy German cars because what the Germans

31:32did to our people is unforgivable. How

31:34we spend our money is an expression of

31:36our values. Today it is Jewish Israelis

31:39who are committing genocide. Because

31:41this council rejected divestment in

31:422021, we all contribute to Israel's

31:45ethnic cleansing campaigns. We're not

31:47asking Cambridge to change federal

31:48policy, we're demanding that our local

31:50tax dollars here in Cambridge stop

31:52supporting companies that are directly

31:54involved in crimes against humanity.

31:56City Council, will you keep Palestinian

31:58blood on our hands or may we extricate

32:00our community from complicity?

32:03>> Our next speaker is Dalia H followed by

32:06Itamar Turner Choring, then Sophie

32:09Gallant.

32:11Dalia, please go ahead. You have 1

32:12minute.

32:14>> My name is Dalia and I live and study in

32:16Cambridge. I'm speaking in support of

32:17policy orders 7 and 8. I bear constant

32:21witness to US-Israeli aggression on

32:22Lebanon through my family's first-hand

32:25testimony, through a constant cycle of

32:27fear that my loved one should fall

32:28victim to displacement or death.

32:31I am repulsed by the fact that my tax

32:32dollars fund this violent oppressive

32:34machine that has robbed hundreds of

32:36thousands of lives and millions of

32:38people of their right to movement, to

32:40travel, to healthcare, to food and

32:41water, to education, and to

32:43self-determination.

32:45Genocidal intent is clear to all those

32:47who are paying attention. On October

32:498th, the Israeli government declared

32:50genocidal intent against Gaza, whose

32:53800,000 innocent children they called

32:55the children of darkness. The intent was

32:57clear when American surgeons returned

32:59from Gaza and reported the most common

33:00wound they treated were single bullet

33:02wounds to the necks of youths. It was

33:05clear when they destroyed every

33:06university, when they targeted and

33:08double-tapped hospitals, schools, tents,

33:10and lines for aid. There was legal

33:12precedent and moral clarity in voting

33:14yes.

33:16>> Our next speaker is Itamar

33:18Turner-Trauring, followed by Sophie

33:20Gallard, then Helen L. We are at speaker

33:23number 20. Itamar, please go ahead, you

33:26have the floor.

33:27>> Hi. Uh my name is Itamar

33:28Turner-Trauring. I live in Oxford

33:30Street, speaking on a policy order

33:31seven.

33:32>> Itamar, can you pull the mic up so we

33:34can hear you? Itamar, sorry.

33:37Can you just move the mic up? Thank you.

33:39>> Uh how's this?

33:40>> Yes.

33:41>> All right. My name is Itamar

33:42Turner-Trauring. I live in Oxford

33:43Street.

33:44Uh I grew up in Israel. I still have

33:45family there. Uh my nieces and nephew

33:47grew up there.

33:49Uh and it's

33:51difficult to explain how racist the

33:53country Israel is. Uh Jews and non-Jews

33:55cannot legally marry. There I went to a

33:57Jewish school because the school systems

33:59are segregated. The West Bank is an

34:01apartheid system has Jews who have full

34:04rights and can vote. There's an election

34:05and they can vote, but the Palestinians

34:07are restricted in their movements.

34:09Uh and unfortunately, none of this is

34:11going to change uh in the next election

34:13uh like two, three weeks, so the person

34:16who might replace Netanyahu was part of

34:18the five-person war cabinet that ran the

34:20genocide. Uh and he is opposed to

34:22Palestinian state. He supports

34:24apartheid. So, regardless whatever

34:26happens in the election, the government

34:28of Israel and the population will

34:29continue to be opposed to peace and

34:32support genocide and apartheid, the only

34:35thing that will change is public

34:36pressure. You can read newspaper

34:38articles in Israel about how they're

34:39afraid of

34:41divestment, afraid of sanctions. You

34:42have a chance to do a little bit. Thank

34:44you.

34:47>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Sophie

34:49Gallard, followed by Helen L, then Rami

34:52Mangoubi. Sophie, 1 minute.

34:55>> Hi, my name is Sophie Gallard. I live

34:57and work in Cambridge. Cambridge has $20

34:59million in investments and contracts

35:01with companies most complicit in the

35:03Israeli military occupation, apartheid,

35:05and genocide of Palestine. What our tax

35:08dollars are funding is a regime of

35:10terror aimed at Palestinians. We are

35:12directly invested in GE Aerospace, which

35:15makes the engines for bombers that

35:16destroy hospitals and schools full of

35:18civilians in Gaza. We invest in Elbit

35:20Systems, which manufactures the

35:22quadcopters that shoot what survivors

35:24remain under the rubble. We would never

35:26accept it if these weapons were trained

35:28at our families. We would never accept

35:30it if our universities were destroyed,

35:32our healthcare workers systematically

35:34murdered, our futures robbed from us. We

35:37can't accept this for Palestinians. If

35:39these POs pass, we know it won't stop

35:41the violence against Palestinians

35:42tomorrow. When Cambridge divested from

35:44South Africa in 1980, it didn't end

35:46apartheid overnight. But City Council

35:48has the chance to do something powerful

35:50and lead the way for the rest of the

35:52country. Please divest and boycott from

35:54these complicit companies, and please

35:56name Israel's genocide of Palestinians

35:58as the reason why. Thank you.

36:00>> Our next speaker is Helen L, followed by

36:03Rami Mangoubi, then E Lev F.

36:06Helen?

36:07>> Good evening. My name is Helen and I

36:08have been a Cambridge resident for over

36:105 years. I am of Irish and Jewish

36:12heritage. Recently, a relative told me

36:15that they were upset that people did not

36:17do more to help victims during the Nazis

36:19genocide. And I asked, are we doing

36:21enough to fight this current genocide

36:23that Israel is committing against

36:24Palestinians? Some speakers tonight will

36:26deny that this is a genocide, but having

36:28worked in public health and conflict for

36:30years, I recognize that this is not a

36:32conflict. This is a genocide. This has

36:34been confirmed by organizations

36:36including the UN, Amnesty International,

36:38Jewish Voices for Peace, and Doctors

36:40Without Borders. It is clear we must all

36:42act to end this. I encourage you to

36:45support divestment, and I want to end by

36:47saying we do not deny the trauma that

36:49oppressors have experienced at any stage

36:51in their individual or collective lives.

36:54We simply reject the notion that others

36:56should become victims as a result of it.

36:58Please vote the moral way. Please

37:00divest.

37:01>> Our next speaker is Rami Mangubi,

37:04followed by E Lev F, then Piper M.

37:08Rami, 1 minute.

37:12>> Uh good evening. I am Rami Mangubi. I

37:14live in Newton and I work in Kendall

37:15Square. This is a one-sided political

37:18weapon designed to single out Israel,

37:21the only Jewish majority state on the

37:23planet and the only democracy in the

37:25Middle East. I speak as a Jewish refugee

37:27from Egypt. My community, along with

37:31nearly a million Jews across the Arab

37:34world, were ethnically cleansed and

37:36forced to flee. Six of my family members

37:39were murdered in the 1948 Cairo

37:41massacres. In the 1960s, my brother and

37:45my uncle were arbitrarily imprisoned

37:47along with all Egyptian Jewish men in

37:51the detention camps of Abu Zaabal and

37:53Tura, where they were tortured for more

37:55than uh 3 years. Israel was the only

37:58sanctuary in the region that uh was the

38:01only sanctuary that welcomed us. Yet, on

38:04October 7th, six descendants of my Cairo

38:06synagogue were murdered. I urge you to

38:09reject this resolution and to join the

38:12Arab region

38:13>> Thank you, Rami. Your time has expired.

38:15Please email us the remainder of your

38:17comment. And for anyone whose time runs

38:19out, again, city

38:20[email protected].

38:22Our next speaker is E. Lev F. Followed

38:26by Piper M. Then Julie Altman. E, you

38:29have the floor. 1 minute.

38:32>> My name is Lev and I'm a member of Via

38:34Haftah, a Judaism beyond Zionism

38:36synagogue based in Cambridge with a

38:38network of over 600 supporters in

38:41Cambridge and across the country. I

38:43don't want the city my congregation is

38:45in to be complicit in a genocide where

38:47Palestinian children are forced to watch

38:50their parents burn to death due to

38:52Israeli airstrikes. Ensuring Jewish

38:55safety does not require Israel

38:57destroying Gaza's healthcare system

38:59resulting in further Palestinian deaths.

39:02When I'm in Cambridge, I feel safe

39:05practicing my Judaism and existing as a

39:07Jewish person, but Palestinians cannot

39:10freely practice their faith or even

39:12exist because they are being murdered by

39:15a country supported by US tax dollars.

39:18Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism.

39:21My synagogue and its many members here

39:24in Cambridge are proof of that. City

39:26Council must act to reflect the people

39:29of Cambridge's values by passing a

39:30divestment ordinance that explicitly

39:32names Israel's genocide in Palestine.

39:34>> Your time has expired. Our next speaker

39:36is Piper M. Followed by Julie Altman.

39:40Then Michael Hansen. Piper?

39:43>> Hi. Good evening, Council. My name is

39:46Piper and I've lived in Cambridge for 3

39:48years and I'm a member of Cambridge's

39:50Jewish community. I'm here to share my

39:52opinion, which is that it is imperative

39:54for the city of Cambridge to divest from

39:56companies that are complicit in Israel's

39:58genocide in Palestine. Our tax dollars

40:00should be invested locally, not

40:03weaponized globally. We can't afford to

40:05invest them in companies that profit

40:07from bombing schools, hospitals, and

40:09refugee camps on a daily basis in Gaza.

40:12If you are someone who is on the fence

40:14about this, please know that divesting

40:16from companies companies who support

40:19this war is not an anti-Semitic act. It

40:22will not alienate the Jewish community

40:24of Cambridge. It will only displease

40:26individuals who condone bombing children

40:29in Gaza. Please make me and my Cambridge

40:32peers proud by honoring your moral duty

40:34and obligation to stand up against

40:36genocide. Set the right example. Stand

40:39on the right side of history. Thank you.

40:42>> Our next speaker is Julie Altman

40:44followed by Michael Hanson then Evan

40:46Mackay.

40:48Julie?

40:50>> Julie Altman, Hubbard Park Road,

40:51Cambridge. Please vote no on policy 195

40:55and 196.

40:57I have been cursed at, threatened with

40:59violence, seen horrific messages through

41:02graffiti,

41:03been approached by screaming activists

41:06littering our street with pamphlets

41:09and shouting by any means necessary.

41:13When I asked the activists if we could

41:15have a discussion, I was told, and I

41:17quote, "Welcome to Cambridge. If you

41:20don't like it, you can leave."

41:22My husband and I have lived in Cambridge

41:24for over 35 years and raised four

41:26children here. We've been active members

41:28of the community serving on various

41:30committees. We know resolutions like

41:32this increase anti-Semitism. Passing

41:35this resolution is telling me that

41:37Cambridge is not my home. It endorses

41:39the very people who want me to leave.

41:41I'm really hoping that's not what you

41:44want.

41:45Thank you.

41:46>> Our next speaker is Michael Hanson

41:48followed by Evan Mackay then Malak R.

41:52Michael, you have the floor.

41:541 minute.

41:59>> Thank you. My name is Michael Hanson,

42:01East Cambridge.

42:03Why single out Israel while ignoring

42:06grave human rights abuses elsewhere in

42:09Russia, Iran, China, Myanmar, to name a

42:12few. And Islamist terrorism, including

42:15the October 7th attacks by Hamas, which

42:18deliberately triggered this current

42:20conflict. 1,200 Israelis were murdered.

42:24Proportionately, that's equivalent to

42:2642,000 Americans killed in one day.

42:30These double standards risk legitimizing

42:32anti-Semitism, which is the real danger

42:35here,

42:36under the guise of human rights

42:37advocacy.

42:39People can protest all they want.

42:41However, the Cambridge City Council is

42:44not a court of law

42:46and should not be used to pursue

42:47political disputes, importing foreign

42:49conflicts into local governance. Thank

42:52you.

42:53>> Our next speaker is Evan Mackay,

42:55followed by Malak R, then Laura Cohen.

42:58Evan, you have 1 minute. Please go

43:00ahead.

43:01>> Hello, my name's Evan Mackay,

43:02they/them/theirs. I live on Garden and

43:04Linnaean Street in neighborhood 9,

43:06speaking in solidarity with Palestine. I

43:08agree with a lot of what has already

43:09been said, and I want to add context to

43:11an organization

43:13mentioned several times in both policy

43:14orders, but which hasn't been discussed

43:16today. AFSC is the American Friends

43:19Service Committee, an organization

43:20founded and governed by Quakers and

43:22recipient of the 1947 Nobel Peace Prize.

43:25I'm Quaker. I go to Friends Meeting

43:26Cambridge on Longfellow. Quakers and

43:28AFSC support BDS because we want there

43:31to be meaningful ways to make an impact

43:32peacefully rather than resorting to more

43:34violence. We want non-violent economic

43:37pressure. This is not about divesting

43:39from all companies with ties to Israel,

43:40and it certainly is not about divesting

43:42from Jewish owned or Jewish led

43:44companies. This is about companies

43:45identified by AFSC as having severe,

43:47consistent, and direct involvement in

43:50the genocide, apartheid, and occupation

43:51of Palestine. Learn more at

43:53afsc.org/divest.

43:55Thank you and solidarity forever.

43:57>> Our next speaker is Malak R,

44:00followed by Laura Cohen, then Barry

44:03Pearlman. Malak, 1 minute. Please go

44:05ahead.

44:06>> My name is Malak, and I've been a

44:07Cambridge city employee for over 15

44:10years. I'm here in support of Cambridge

44:12divesting from Israeli companies that

44:14are complicit in the genocide of

44:16Palestinians. These companies are making

44:18a profit out of this genocide. They

44:21share their tech that they openly brag

44:24is battle-tested with US companies, with

44:26the military, with ICE, with cops. The

44:29same cops who kill and brutalize people

44:31here. These companies are dripping with

44:34blood from head to toe. And these deals

44:37whitewash Israel's crimes.

44:39This is genocide laundering. This is not

44:42just a moral obligation. This affects us

44:44directly here, and we must resist this

44:47economy of genocide. We must dismantle

44:51the material basis of the US-Israeli

44:54economic relationship now. If you are

44:56not actively against this, then we are

44:58supporting it. This is our liberation.

45:01These are the same companies. This is

45:03the same colonization. Our struggle is

45:05one. None of us are free until all of us

45:07are free. Free Palestine.

45:10>> Our next speaker is Laura Cohen. We are

45:13at speaker number 30. Laura Cohen

45:15followed by Barry Pearlman, then Joel

45:17Sowati.

45:19Lauren, please go ahead. You have the

45:20floor. You have 1 minute.

45:25>> Hi, I'm Laura Cohen, Buckingham Street,

45:27born raised in Cambridge, now raising my

45:29kids here.

45:30I love this city, and I oppose 195 and

45:32196. I'm deeply upset that we're here

45:35again. These resolutions make sweeping

45:37false accusations against Israel and

45:39force peace-loving Jewish residents to

45:41stand on trial, defending their people

45:43in less than a minute. Please stop doing

45:44this to our community. Israel's not

45:46beyond criticism, but this goes far

45:48beyond criticizing government policy. It

45:50demonizes an entire country, reviving a

45:52dangerous history of spreading

45:53outrageous accusations against Jews and

45:56portraying them as uniquely evil.

45:58Israel is central to Jewish history,

46:00religion, and identity. Half the world's

46:02Jews live there, and this demonization

46:04follows Jewish and Israeli families into

46:06our schools, workplaces, and

46:07neighborhoods. BDS is not a peace

46:09movement. It's a pressure campaign that

46:11seeks to isolate and dismantle Israel,

46:13not build peace through mutual

46:14acceptance and coexistence. Please don't

46:17let Cambridge become a pawn in this

46:18global BDS campaign. Let's build trust

46:20and community, not tear each other

46:21apart. Let our council get back to the

46:23important work of running our city.

46:27>> Our next speaker is Barry Pearlman,

46:29followed by Joel Sawati, then Sharon

46:32Krebs. Barry, you have the floor. You

46:34have 1 minute. Please go ahead.

46:38>> Can you hear me?

46:40>> We can. Please go ahead.

46:42>> Most people would agree that a glass of

46:44Coca-Cola and a glass of water are two

46:46different things,

46:48but Coke is 99% water.

46:50Anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are

46:52slightly different, but get real.

46:54Anti-Zionism is 99% anti-Semitism.

46:58Millions of black and brown people voted

47:00for Donald Trump, but that doesn't mean

47:02that Trump and the MAGA movement are not

47:03profoundly racist. So, Jews

47:06participating in the anti-Zionist

47:07movement proves nothing.

47:09Now, there's a world of difference

47:11between criticizing a country's leaders

47:12or actions and saying that the country

47:14shouldn't exist.

47:15Anti-Zionism is not criticism of Israel.

47:18It's saying Israel should be destroyed.

47:20And it's really anti-Semitism because

47:21the anti-Zionists do not apply any

47:23similar logic to any other country,

47:26least of all to the many horrific

47:27regimes in the Muslim Arab world where

47:30genocidal violence against Kurds,

47:32Yazidi, Baha'i,

47:34Mizrahi, and other minorities is common,

47:37and where wars have killed not tens of

47:38thousands, but millions of people. My

47:41Cambridge neighborhood, I and I've lived

47:43in Cambridge for 50 years.

47:44>> Thank you for your public comment,

47:45Barry. I'm inspired. Please email us the

47:47remainder of your comment. Our next

47:50speaker is Joel Sawati, followed by

47:53Sharon Krebs, then Susan Hirsch.

48:02Joel Sawadi.

48:06Joel is not with us. We're going to move

48:07on to Sharon Krebs.

48:09Sharon, you have the floor. You have 1

48:11minute. Please go ahead.

48:15>> Hi.

48:16My name is Sharon Krebs, Lovell Road.

48:19This order that is up for vote is based

48:21on mistruths, libels, and hate. It is

48:24driven by hatred for Israel and Jews.

48:27This is the only explanation for

48:28singling out the only Jewish country for

48:31targeted condemnation. It screams

48:33discrimination loud and clear. The fact

48:36that this resolution to ostracize and

48:38demonize Israel is now being carried

48:41forward by the City Council, the same

48:43elected officials who took a pledge the

48:45equal treatment of all people

48:48demonstrates that they have capitulated

48:50to the drivers of this hate movement. In

48:52a climate of rising violence against

48:54Jews, a yes vote on this resolution will

48:57embolden these loud voices seeking to

48:59destroy and divide. There is no

49:01genocide. A yes vote will provide a

49:04city-sanctioned permission structure to

49:06further marginalize and exclude Jews,

49:09minimize their concerns, falsely accuse

49:12them of collective guilt, and bring

49:14harm. I urge the City Council to reject

49:18>> Our next speaker is Susan Hirsch,

49:20followed by Preston Neil, then Nancy

49:22Gold.

49:23Susan.

49:25If you can unmute yourself, please go

49:27ahead. You have 1 minute.

49:30>> Thank you so much. My I'm Sorry. My name

49:32is Sue Hirsch. I'm a I'm West Cambridge.

49:34I'm a former teacher and a parent of 8-

49:36and 9-year-olds.

49:38I had to speak to you today as a mom, a

49:40teacher, a caring citizen, as a Jewish

49:42person.

49:43In my life, I've had money thrown at me

49:46and experienced all kinds of hatred.

49:50I I want to explain that it is clear

49:52from the anger in this room and the hand

49:55gestures and negativity. You can see the

49:58kind of negativity that happens. This is

50:00a place that I want to feel safe. I want

50:02my children to feel safe. I am

50:05pro-Palestinian, pro-Jewish, pro-safety,

50:09pro everyone feeling safe and welcome.

50:12Since the last few years, I have felt

50:13unsafe in this city

50:15and this resolution will only make it

50:18continue.

50:21Please stop the divisiveness. This is

50:24not an argument of genocide. This is

50:25about everyone feeling safe. Please

50:27oppose these propositions for me and my

50:30children.

50:34>> Thank you. Our next speaker, we are

50:36going to go back

50:38Madam Clerk, we're going to go back to

50:39Joel Swartz, who we just called. Joel,

50:42please come to the mic. You have 1

50:44minute.

50:48>> I'm Joel Swartz. I live in North

50:49Cambridge.

50:51I've lost family in the Middle East

50:52conflict.

50:54It's been an enormous part of my family

50:55stories for generations and an enormous

50:57amount of suffering. I care deeply.

51:00I came here to the US as a child. I've

51:03lived in Cambridge since 1994.

51:05I work here. I live here. I raised two

51:07children here.

51:09We are a safe and welcoming community.

51:11We pride ourselves on that.

51:14So, I ask you, don't import the conflict

51:16from where I came from here.

51:19You see what's happening tonight.

51:21Don't make this what we do here in

51:23Cambridge.

51:24These policy orders came out on

51:26Thursday.

51:27On Saturday, a petition was started

51:30asking you to just vote no.

51:33More than 650 people have signed it in

51:36barely 2 days

51:38and they're still signing it as we

51:40speak.

51:41Don't amend it.

51:43Don't wordsmith it.

51:44Just vote no.

51:46Make it clear this is not who we are.

51:50>> Our next speaker is Preston Neil

51:52followed by Nancy Gold then Michael

51:55Salib.

51:57Preston.

52:02Preston, if you can unmute yourself, you

52:03have the floor. Please go ahead.

52:07>> Hi, Preston Neil. I live in Porter

52:08Square in Cambridge. Supporters of these

52:11policy orders say some Jewish residents

52:13back them so they can't be biased

52:15against Jews. Imagine telling a

52:17Mexican-American that some Latinos

52:18support strict immigration controls so

52:21you shouldn't worry about being targeted

52:22by ICE.

52:24Let's not be naive. This order will

52:26provide a permission structure to

52:28stigmatize Jews and Israelis in

52:30Cambridge who refuse to disavow Israel's

52:32right to exist.

52:34It will also do nothing to help

52:35Palestinians as the far-right parties in

52:37Israel simply use BDS campaigns to

52:40bolster their own standing.

52:41It's no coincidence that Prime Minister

52:43Netanyahu is featuring Momani in his

52:46re-election campaign.

52:48If the council wants to spend time and

52:49money on this topic, a far more

52:51constructive approach would be to

52:52facilitate intergroup dialogue and

52:54learning forums on the

52:55Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

52:57We don't all have to agree, but we do

52:59have to live together. We need to turn

53:01down the temperature before it reaches a

53:03boiling point. Vote no on policy orders

53:06seven and eight. Thank you.

53:08>> Our next speaker is Nancy Gold followed

53:12by

53:14Michael Salib then David Friedman.

53:18>> I'm Nancy Gold. I moved to Cambridge in

53:211998 as a Zionist. I knew nothing about

53:24Palestinians until I heard an NPR story

53:27about Israelis destroying Palestinian

53:29families' olive trees. In that moment, I

53:33realized I'd been rooting for the wrong

53:35team my whole life. Today, many human

53:38rights organizations have confirmed the

53:40devastating killings in Gaza as a

53:42genocide. In its July 2025 report, our

53:46genocide, B'Tselem recounts a survivor

53:50describing tents filled with the bodies

53:52of women and children and the terror of

53:54expecting to be bombed and killed.

53:57Cambridge must not invest our money in

54:00companies supplying weapons used in this

54:03ongoing horror. My husband pays more

54:06than $40,000

54:08a year in Cambridge property taxes. He

54:11does not want one penny of that money

54:14supporting this devastation. Cambridge

54:17must take a stand.

54:19>> Divest. Thank you. Please email us the

54:21remainder of your comment. Our next

54:23speaker is Michael Salib followed by

54:26David Friedman, then Ben Roberts.

54:28Michael, 1 minute. Please go ahead.

54:32>> Uh good afternoon. Um I live in North

54:35Cambridge. I also work in Cambridge. Uh

54:38I have I own my home here. I have two

54:40children. One is a refugee from

54:42Afghanistan. One is my biological son.

54:45Uh I'm an Arab American. And pretty much

54:48every day I look at pictures of children

54:51in Gaza that look identical to my kids.

54:55They have the same eyes, the same nose,

54:57the same hair. And

55:00they are getting bombed and starved to

55:03death by Israel and my children are

55:06safe. And honestly, the fact that we're

55:08talking about this makes me feel that

55:10Cambridge is no longer a home for me.

55:13The fact that

55:15my children are dehumanized, that I am

55:18dehumanized because let me tell you

55:21we are exactly the same as those people

55:23in Gaza. Those people in Gaza that

55:25Cambridge money goes to support the

55:28bombing and starvation of. So, I vote

55:30for I urge divestment as soon as

55:33possible.

55:35>> Our next speaker is David Friedman,

55:37followed by Ben Roberts, then Robin

55:40Buck. David, 1 minute.

55:43>> Good evening. My name is David Friedman.

55:45I was first assistant attorney general

55:46of Massachusetts and have served on the

55:48Massachusetts Special Commission on

55:49Combating Antisemitism and I teach at

55:52Harvard Law School. Under the preeminent

55:54definition of Antisemitism, it can be

55:56antisemitic to apply a double standard

55:58to Israel, the world's only Jewish

56:00state. The proposed policy orders are

56:02filled with inflammatory accusations

56:04against Israel that aren't true. But

56:07even if there were truth to these

56:08claims, the proposals completely ignore

56:11far worse atrocities committed by

56:13Israel's neighbors. Do we not care about

56:16the actual genocide and mass murder

56:18committed by Sudan, Yemen, Iran, Russia,

56:22and Gaza under Hamas rule? That many

56:25Middle East nations persecute Jews and

56:27have driven them all out? That these

56:28nations torture and kill and murder

56:31LGBTQ people and would treat women as

56:33second-class citizens? This issue before

56:35you comes down to a very simple

56:37question.

56:38Why would Cambridge single out the tiny

56:40and world's only Jewish state for

56:42condemnation and BDS, but deliberately

56:44ignore proven atrocities by Israel's

56:46neighbors?

56:47>> Our next speaker is Ben Roberts,

56:49followed by Robin Buck, then Janice

56:52Brodman. Ben, you have the floor. 1

56:54minute.

56:56>> Hello. Um my name's Ben. I've lived in

56:58and around Cambridge for several years

57:01and

57:02I hear again and again in these comments

57:05that

57:07there's, you know, this feeling of being

57:09unsafe in Cambridge if this is voted

57:11through, but I hear again and again,

57:13too,

57:14about people's families being murdered,

57:16about people being slaughtered by these

57:18companies that we're trying to divest

57:20from, that we're asking to move away

57:22from.

57:23And these are companies that are not

57:25named because I don't think many people

57:28here want to get up and say, "I support

57:29Palantir. I support Lockheed Martin."

57:32And so it's easy to talk around the

57:34issue. It's easy to say, "Well, here are

57:37the other reasons why not." But at the

57:39core of this,

57:40I do not want any of my tax dollars, any

57:43of my support to be going towards these

57:45companies

57:47that do such awful brutal things abroad,

57:49here, anywhere else.

57:51And I think that it's telling as well

57:53that very few anti-

57:56resolution people are willing to admit

57:58what those companies actually are.

58:00>> Our next speaker is Robin Buck, followed

58:03by Janice Brodman, then Jonas Hanson.

58:07Robin, you have the floor. Please unmute

58:09yourself. 1 minute.

58:12>> I'd like to speak to the activists who

58:14brought policy order seven before the

58:15council tonight. I was a part of the

58:17group that brought BDS policy orders

58:19before the city council in 2018 and 21.

58:22And those experiences taught me and my

58:24comrades a lesson we could only have

58:26learned through experience, that we are

58:28so much stronger when we stop appealing

58:31to people in power to do the right

58:32thing, and start appealing to the people

58:35to take the power and do the right thing

58:37ourselves. And that is not just

58:39rhetoric, because that is exactly what

58:41we did.

58:42In 2024, that same group of people

58:44forced Israel's largest weapons dealer,

58:46Elbit Systems, out of Cambridge. And we

58:49did it without asking a single thing

58:51from the Cambridge City Council. And I

58:53say this not as a criticism of you for

58:54bringing this policy order before the

58:56council tonight. I say it because if

58:58tomorrow you feel heartbroken, I want

59:00you to know you do not have to wait for

59:02them to end Cambridge's support for

59:03Israel. You have the power to end

59:05Cambridge's support for Israel

59:06yourselves, and you have a

59:08responsibility to do so, because who are

59:10we if we cannot stop this genocide?

59:14>> Our next speaker is Janice Brodman,

59:17followed by Jonas Hanson, then Zeb Mis-

59:22Michelle, sorry.

59:23Uh, we are at speaker number 41, Janice

59:25Brodman.

59:28Janice, you have the floor. Please

59:29unmute yourself.

59:34>> Can you hear me?

59:35>> We can. Please go ahead.

59:37>> My name's Janice Brodman. I live in

59:38Arlington, but lived decades in

59:40Cambridge.

59:42I oppose the Netanyahu government. I

59:44also oppose this measure.

59:47The BDS ignores massive demonstrations

59:50by Israelis against Netanyahu and their

59:52work for peace and justice.

59:54That's collective punishment and we

59:56should not commit it.

59:58The impact's also bad here. My

1:00:00brother-in-law got

1:00:01uh treatment, crucial treatment for a

1:00:04stroke that was made in Israel. Be BDS

1:00:06could end access to such treatments for

1:00:08everyone treated in Israel and treated

1:00:11in Cambridge.

1:00:12I I teach you might not even try to

1:00:14bring Israeli and Palestinian peace

1:00:16activists to show how to talk across

1:00:18deep divides. Is that what the lesson we

1:00:20want for our kids? Message is this

1:00:22already has the fourth highest rate of

1:00:24anti-Jewish crimes in the country.

1:00:27Cambridge should show how people can

1:00:28work together to solve problems, not

1:00:31shut out one side. Please vote no.

1:00:35>> Our next speaker is Jonas Hanson,

1:00:37followed by Zev Michel, then Jacob

1:00:40Brown.

1:00:42Jonas?

1:00:45Jonas has not joined us. We're going to

1:00:47move on to Zev Michel, then Jacob Brown,

1:00:51then Faith T.

1:00:54Jacob?

1:00:56Sorry, Zev.

1:00:58>> Dear council members,

1:01:01my name is Zev and I'm a co-founder of

1:01:03Minyan Zeid, a Cambridge and

1:01:05Somerville-based anti-Zionist Jewish

1:01:07community.

1:01:08We chose the name Zeid because it's a

1:01:10word shared in both Arabic and Hebrew to

1:01:12evoke olives, a symbol of Palestine

1:01:15solidarity and peace.

1:01:17Our community has made a spiritual home

1:01:19for hundreds of Jews to gather to resist

1:01:21the weaponization of our identities and

1:01:23insist that never again means we must

1:01:26fight to end the genocide in Gaza.

1:01:29I'm here to share that anti-Zionism is

1:01:31not anti-Semitic and is expression of my

1:01:34deeply held Jewish values. I'm joining

1:01:36others today to call on the city council

1:01:39to ensure our public funds don't support

1:01:42atrocities and instead are an expression

1:01:44of our of our deepest spiritual values.

1:01:46Thank you.

1:01:48>> We're going to go back to Jonas Hanson

1:01:51followed by Jacob Brown then Faith T.

1:01:54Jonas, you have the

1:01:59Jonas, you have the floor. Please go

1:02:00ahead. 1 minute.

1:02:03>> Hi, this is Jonas.

1:02:05Uh,

1:02:06I live in East Cambridge and yeah, I'm

1:02:08asking you to vote no on this policy

1:02:10order.

1:02:11Uh, these, you know, orders hand control

1:02:14of Cambridge's investment and contract

1:02:17decisions to an outside advocacy group.

1:02:19Um, and, you know, this council doesn't

1:02:22write that list or approve [snorts] it

1:02:24and it can, you know, can change without

1:02:27a single public vote.

1:02:28That

1:02:29alone should, you know, give you pause.

1:02:32And, you know, I'm also here as as a

1:02:34Jewish resident. This order would

1:02:37put our city on record accusing,

1:02:40you know, Israel of genocide and

1:02:41apartheid and it singles out Israel

1:02:43bonds by by name.

1:02:46And I, and I'm sure many others have

1:02:48watched that this kind of rhetoric spill

1:02:51spills violence against Jewish

1:02:53communities all over the world.

1:02:55And uh, I'm frightened of what it

1:02:56signals here uh, in my own home. So,

1:02:59this order says it condemns

1:03:00anti-Semitism so let's please listen to

1:03:02the Jewish residents and telling you how

1:03:04it lands. So, thanks.

1:03:06>> Our next speaker is Jacob Brown followed

1:03:09by Faith T then Evan Fontana. Jacob, 1

1:03:13minute. Please go ahead.

1:03:14>> Uh, hi, my name is Jacob and I live here

1:03:16in Cambridge. I'm here because as a

1:03:18constituent of Cambridge, I think it is

1:03:19morally necessary to do our part to stop

1:03:21investing and contracting with companies

1:03:22complicit in Israel's genocide,

1:03:24apartheid, and occupation of

1:03:25Palestinians.

1:03:27I've been visiting my family in

1:03:28Cambridge since I was a toddler and

1:03:29lived here for the last few years. And

1:03:31to me, it's always represented a place

1:03:32that strives for equity and universal

1:03:34rights.

1:03:35That's why I'm proud when I see bills

1:03:36like our sanctuary city ordinance pass.

1:03:38It's also why I'm proud when I look at

1:03:40our history and see that in 1980,

1:03:42Cambridge divested from apartheid South

1:03:43Africa and called out the practice

1:03:45specifically as being abhorrent to every

1:03:46principle of human rights. We face a

1:03:48similar decision today. Time and time

1:03:50again, we see human rights organizations

1:03:52explicitly name Israel's apartheid of

1:03:54Palestinians, including the UNHRO, the

1:03:56ICJ, and Amnesty International, and

1:03:58explicitly name genocide, including the

1:04:00International Organization of Genocide

1:04:01Scholars and B'Tselem. We know what

1:04:03we're looking at. In 1980, when we

1:04:05passed the policy order to divest from

1:04:07South Africa, the bill read that

1:04:09divestment was essential both in order

1:04:10to avoid participation in injustice and

1:04:12in order to take some some small action

1:04:14to begin to end it.

1:04:15>> Thanks, Jacob. Please email us the

1:04:17remainder of your comment. Your time is

1:04:18expired. Our next speaker is Faith T,

1:04:22followed by Evan Fontana, then Luke A.

1:04:25We're at speaker number 45. Faith,

1:04:27please go ahead. 1 minute.

1:04:29>> Hi, my name is Faith. I've lived in

1:04:31Riverside for nearly 13 years. In the

1:04:34spring of this year, I would wake up

1:04:35every morning to a voice note from my

1:04:37aunt in Lebanon saying that they were

1:04:40okay and not to worry about the news,

1:04:42that the bombs were close but didn't hit

1:04:44them.

1:04:45Where my family Where my family lives in

1:04:47Beirut is considered safe. But what is

1:04:50actually safe about living next to a

1:04:51state that indiscriminately bombs whole

1:04:53neighborhoods into oblivion? A state

1:04:56that deliberately destroys bridges and

1:04:57water infrastructure and unlawfully

1:04:59sprays white phosphorus over farmland.

1:05:02We in Cambridge are the actual safe

1:05:04ones. I love this city, but it disturbs

1:05:06me that I get to be so comfortable while

1:05:08my tax dollars go towards funding the

1:05:10destruction of my homeland and the

1:05:12genocide genocide of Palestinians. We

1:05:15must do what we did during South

1:05:17Africa's apartheid. We must name Israel

1:05:19in the genocide of Palestinians and

1:05:20divest from the worst of the worst

1:05:22companies complicit in this genocide. Do

1:05:24the right thing.

1:05:26>> Our next speaker is Evan Fontana

1:05:29followed by Luke A, then Aaron Gaber.

1:05:32Evan, you have 1 minute. Please go

1:05:34ahead.

1:05:38>> Good evening. Evan James Fontana,

1:05:39Somerville resident. Councilors, you

1:05:42must vote no on these resolutions 7 and

1:05:458.

1:05:46First, you have a fiduciary

1:05:48responsibility to the city. If you

1:05:50boycott countries accused of atrocities,

1:05:52why single out Israel? The ICJ hasn't

1:05:55ruled on the genocide charge and the

1:05:57ICC's high-level military group said

1:06:00Israel sets a new standard for

1:06:01protecting civil civilians in war.

1:06:04A country bent on genocide doesn't

1:06:06deliver over 2 million tons of food,

1:06:08vaccinate hundreds of thousands of

1:06:10children against polio, or warn

1:06:12civilians before attacking, because that

1:06:15shows the opposite of intent.

1:06:18These protesters claim this is for moral

1:06:20clarity, but are silent when Iran kills

1:06:23over 50,000 of their own people in 2

1:06:24days, Sudan with hundreds of thousands

1:06:27killed in a true famine, China with the

1:06:30Uyghurs,

1:06:31among countless other examples.

1:06:34Finally, when inevitably a lawsuit comes

1:06:36your way, who will pay? The councilors

1:06:39pushing this or Cambridge?

1:06:41>> Our next speaker is Luke A, followed by

1:06:43Aaron Gaber, then Sophia Maryweather.

1:06:47Luke,

1:06:48you have 1 minute.

1:06:51>> Hi. My name is Luke. I live in

1:06:52Massachusetts Avenue just three blocks

1:06:54away from here.

1:06:55While living in Cambridge, I've

1:06:56experienced incredible passion from so

1:06:58many people who care deeply about the

1:06:59genocide in Palestine.

1:07:01Now you all can see the quantity of that

1:07:03indomitable passion with your own eyes.

1:07:06If you decide tonight that you can't

1:07:07that you don't want to take action, that

1:07:08you don't want to recognize and name

1:07:10Israel's genocide of Palestinians, that

1:07:12to all of these people who are your

1:07:14neighbors, you become someone who's okay

1:07:17with unimaginable inhumanity. That you

1:07:19had a chance to say you stand against

1:07:20genocide and you did nothing.

1:07:22Please, ask yourself, is that how you

1:07:23want your constituents to remember you

1:07:25by?

1:07:26Is that a shame you're okay with living

1:07:27with?

1:07:28I'd also like to point out that the loud

1:07:30music you might have heard coming

1:07:31through the window during this meeting,

1:07:33and that is from a group of the

1:07:34divestment opposition who are blasting

1:07:36music while supporters of these policy

1:07:38orders try to listen to the live stream

1:07:39of the meeting.

1:07:40So, just I'd like to point out that it's

1:07:43one group who is being disruptive and

1:07:45and escalating, and I'd like you to

1:07:47think about why. Thank you.

1:07:49>> Our next speaker is Aaron Gaber,

1:07:52followed by Sophia Merryweather, then

1:07:54Yuval Spiegler. Aaron, please come to

1:07:57the mic, 1 minute.

1:07:59>> Good evening. My name is Rabbi Aaron

1:08:01Gaber, and I live on Beacon in

1:08:02Somerville.

1:08:04And I regularly spend time in Cambridge,

1:08:06attending synagogue, shopping, enjoying

1:08:09all the great city has to offer.

1:08:11As a rabbi and a chaplain, I have

1:08:14dedicated my career to bringing people

1:08:16together across religious, cultural, and

1:08:18political differences.

1:08:20I support Palestinian dignity and human

1:08:22rights, while affirming Israel's right

1:08:25to peace and security. These principles

1:08:28are not mutually exclusive.

1:08:31I oppose these resolutions because they

1:08:33raise serious concerns about community

1:08:36division and economic responsibility.

1:08:38Boycotts deepen divisions instead of

1:08:41fostering dialogue, understanding, and

1:08:43reconciliation.

1:08:45Decisions made here affect Cambridge's

1:08:48Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, Palestinian,

1:08:51and other communities.

1:08:53Instead of passing measures

1:08:57that will affect no change in the Middle

1:08:59which will bring meaningful meaningful

1:09:01>> Your time has expired. Please email us

1:09:04the remainder of your comment.

1:09:05>> We will go to Sophia Maryweather,

1:09:08followed by Yuval Spiegler, then David

1:09:11Lichter. Sophia, 1 minute.

1:09:13>> Hi, my name is Sophia Maryweather. I'm a

1:09:16Cambridge resident, and I work at the

1:09:18Cambridge Public Library. I'm here

1:09:20tonight to ask the Cambridge City

1:09:22Council to pass policy order number

1:09:23seven and number eight. It's our tax

1:09:26dollars, our money here in America, that

1:09:28allows the atrocities in Palestine to

1:09:30continue.

1:09:31In this case, it's my pension as a city

1:09:34employee that is being invested in

1:09:35genocide. I'm here to ask the City

1:09:38Council, don't allow our money to fund

1:09:40war and terror. It's our responsibility

1:09:43to stand against violence, against

1:09:45oppression, and against genocide. We

1:09:47must name Israel's genocide of

1:09:49Palestinians. This is nothing new for

1:09:51the City of Cambridge. Cambridge

1:09:53divested from South Africa back in 1980.

1:09:56I urge the City Council to lean on this

1:09:58history of moral courage, and to pass

1:10:01these policy orders, and divest our

1:10:03money from Israel. Thank you.

1:10:05Our next speaker is speaker number 50,

1:10:09Yuval Spiegler, followed by David

1:10:11Lichter, then Danielle Mulligan. Yuval,

1:10:14please go ahead. You have 1 minute.

1:10:18>> Hello everyone. My name is Yuval. I live

1:10:20on Oxford Street in Cambridge, and I

1:10:22oppose the orders.

1:10:23The policy opens by opposing

1:10:25discrimination and violence anywhere in

1:10:26the world. Anywhere, really. This is

1:10:29obviously written as an Israeli-specific

1:10:31boycott, instead of a human rights

1:10:32standard that we can actually apply

1:10:34broadly.

1:10:36You invoke the UN Human Rights Council.

1:10:38China is on that council. Egypt and

1:10:40Qatar are on that council, as well. In

1:10:432022, it voted against even debating

1:10:45abuses against the Uyghurs. That is the

1:10:47institution whose authority we invoke to

1:10:49justify the selective outrage.

1:10:51Look, Palestinian suffering deserves our

1:10:53concern, but it cannot give us the moral

1:10:55exemption from being consistent.

1:10:58You want Cambridge to take

1:10:59responsibility for where it's money

1:11:00goes? Awesome. Then write a rule that

1:11:03reaches China, too.

1:11:04And Egypt, and Sudan, and Russia.

1:11:08And put it into policy and do it tonight

1:11:09because if you don't, please spare the

1:11:12speeches about universal justice. You've

1:11:14singled out the one and only Jewish

1:11:16state in the world as a special

1:11:18standard, and you owe the city an

1:11:19explanation as to why.

1:11:21>> Our next speaker is David Lichter,

1:11:24followed by

1:11:26Danielle Mulligan, then Richard Leeds.

1:11:29David, you have the floor. You have 1

1:11:30minute. Please go ahead.

1:11:33>> My name is David Lichter. For over 20

1:11:35years, I've lived in Somerville and

1:11:37worked as a scientist in Cambridge. I'm

1:11:39here to oppose this hateful ordinance.

1:11:41If counselors want to see what

1:11:42supporting it could mean, look at us,

1:11:44your neighbors in Somerville. Supporters

1:11:46of the BDS ordinance here bring their

1:11:48anti-Israel hate movement and

1:11:50demonization all over the city. There

1:11:52were protesters at our city's Hanukkah

1:11:55menorah lighting, a joyous celebration

1:11:57for children. Just yesterday, there was

1:12:00a man wearing a Hamas t-shirt which

1:12:02celebrates murdering Israelis at the

1:12:04city's Halloween festival for children.

1:12:07We've seen anti-Semitism at nearly every

1:12:09K-12 school here in Somerville,

1:12:11including swastikas and Hamas clothing,

1:12:14and I can share specifics with any of

1:12:15the city councilors later. These are not

1:12:17abstract geopolitical disagreements.

1:12:20These are our children.

1:12:22Cambridge prides itself on diversity and

1:12:24inclusion. Why are we singled out? We

1:12:26don't want special treatment. We just

1:12:28want to live freely without harassment,

1:12:30intimidation, or bullying. We just want

1:12:32to be left alone. We deserve better.

1:12:36>> Our next speaker is Danielle Mulligan,

1:12:38followed by Richard Leeds, then Jodie

1:12:40Nemser Abrams. Danielle, 1 minute.

1:12:44>> Hi, my name is Danielle Mulligan, and

1:12:46I'm a resident of Cambridge. I'm here

1:12:48tonight to speak in strong support of

1:12:50policy order 7 and 8 and to divest our

1:12:52tax dollars from companies complicit in

1:12:54Israel's genocide, apartheid, and

1:12:55occupation of Palestine. This is not our

1:12:58first time taking a stand in divesting

1:13:00our tax dollars. As you all well know by

1:13:02now, Cambridge showed moral courage and

1:13:03decided to divest from South Africa in

1:13:051980.

1:13:06For the last 3 years, we've been

1:13:07witnessing a genocide in Palestine.

1:13:09Around 75,000 people have been killed in

1:13:12this time.

1:13:13This number is so enormous and

1:13:15heartbreaking, it's hard to wrap my

1:13:16brain around.

1:13:17That's around around 1 in 30 people 1 in

1:13:2030 Palestinians or the entire population

1:13:23of more than the entire population of

1:13:24Portland, Maine killed.

1:13:26This does not include the enormous toll

1:13:28on those injured. And our American tax

1:13:30dollars, our city's tax dollars have

1:13:32funded this murder.

1:13:34Tonight, we have a chance to make a

1:13:35small but extremely meaningful shift. We

1:13:37have the opportunity to stand with

1:13:38cities across the country and say we are

1:13:39no longer

1:13:41complicit. You'll be hearing a lot of us

1:13:43versus them tonight, but this moment in

1:13:44history is too big for us

1:13:45>> Thank you, Danielle. Your time is

1:13:47expired. Our next speaker is Richard

1:13:50Leeds, followed by Jody Nemser Abrams,

1:13:52then Jeremy Burton.

1:13:54Richard, you have the floor. Please go

1:13:56ahead. 1 minute.

1:14:00>> My name is Richard Leeds. I want to give

1:14:02an accurate characterization of the BDS.

1:14:05The BDS against Israel or more

1:14:08accurately Jews is based not on South

1:14:10Africa, but on the German Kristallnacht.

1:14:13Israel is not committing genocide in

1:14:16Gaza, even though it has capability to

1:14:18do so.

1:14:19The deaths of people unaffiliated with

1:14:21Hamas are the result of Hamas using the

1:14:24population as human shields.

1:14:27There is no apartheid in Israel. Women,

1:14:31all religious persuasions, and the

1:14:33non-religious have equal rights. The

1:14:36United States has taken the heroic step

1:14:39and moral step of standing against the

1:14:41racist international community of the

1:14:44UN, ICC, Amnesty International,

1:14:48and Nobel Prize winner Navi Pillay. The

1:14:51focus of local municipalities should be

1:14:54local issues, not to get involved in

1:14:56international relations of the US when

1:14:58it serves Islamic terrorism.

1:15:02>> Our next speaker is Jodie Nemzer Abrams,

1:15:05followed by Jeremy Burton, then Alyssa

1:15:08Khan.

1:15:10Jodie, you have the floor. Please go

1:15:12ahead. 1 minute.

1:15:17>> Good evening. My name is Jodie Nemzer

1:15:19Abrams. I live in Somerville,

1:15:20Massachusetts. I urge you to oppose

1:15:23these policy orders. Cambridge aspires

1:15:25to be a welcoming city for all of its

1:15:27residents, but this resolution will only

1:15:28have the opposite effect. Passing this

1:15:30resolution will continue to contribute

1:15:32to an increasingly hostile environment

1:15:34for Jews and Israelis. I'd like to share

1:15:36a personal anecdote of what this looks

1:15:37like in day-to-day life. Recently, one

1:15:39of my children brought home a flyer from

1:15:40school for the upcoming spirit week. The

1:15:42first day of spirit week was a share

1:15:44your pride day where students were

1:15:45encouraged to wear the clothing of the

1:15:46flag of their country or other symbols

1:15:47representing their identity. I held my

1:15:49breath in hopes that my children did

1:15:51have not seen the flyer. My family is

1:15:52Jewish and we are deeply connected to

1:15:54Israel. But there was absolutely no way

1:15:56I was going to let my children go to

1:15:57school wearing an Israeli flag or

1:15:59conspicuous Star of David. Inclusion

1:16:01means proactively affirming our diverse

1:16:03community and sharing that everyone can

1:16:05be visibly proud of their heritage and

1:16:07identity. In what is already a climate

1:16:09of heightened anti-Semitism and

1:16:10anti-Israel sentiment, I urge city

1:16:12leadership to focus its energy on making

1:16:14Cambridge a city where no resident has

1:16:15ever ever has to hide their identity for

1:16:17fear of safety and belonging.

1:16:20>> Our next speaker is Jeremy Burton,

1:16:22followed by Alyssa Khan, then Michael

1:16:24Goodman.

1:16:26Jeremy, 1 minute.

1:16:28>> Good evening. As the CEO of the Jewish

1:16:30Community Relations Council, the

1:16:31broadest collective voice of a greater

1:16:33Boston's Jewish community, as a 15-year

1:16:35resident of Cambridge who has been

1:16:37harassed on Mass Ave for the singular

1:16:39sin of wearing my kippah while coming

1:16:41out of Target, And as someone who, like

1:16:44so many of us in Cambridge, lost people

1:16:46we knew and cared about in the October

1:16:487th attacks or in the violence over the

1:16:51last 3 years,

1:16:53I ask you to put aside the order before

1:16:55you tonight and to focus on how we bring

1:16:57the people of Cambridge together.

1:16:59We need to be a city where all residents

1:17:02belong and all of us are welcome.

1:17:06We need to behold the pain and the

1:17:08identities of all residents and value

1:17:11that and honor that. We can and we must

1:17:13do better than this. We need to stop

1:17:15politicizing each other's trauma in

1:17:17these battles here in the City Council

1:17:19session after session and I've been here

1:17:21I think four times over the last 8 years

1:17:24and we need to focus on healing our

1:17:25trauma with each other here in

1:17:27Cambridge. Please reject efforts that

1:17:29are causing harm in our city.

1:17:31>> expired. Our next speaker is Alyssa

1:17:33Khan, followed by Michael Goodman, then

1:17:36Galia Rahman Swig. Alyssa.

1:17:40>> Hi, my name is Alyssa Khan. I'm a nearly

1:17:4220-year resident of Cambridge. I have

1:17:44two kids in the Cambridge public

1:17:45schools. I come to you today as a mom,

1:17:48as a pediatrician, as a health equity

1:17:50researcher, and as someone who knows

1:17:52about state-sponsored violence, as

1:17:54someone who was born in Indian-occupied

1:17:57Kashmir. Through all of these

1:17:58identities, what I experience right now

1:18:01is moral distress, that my tax dollars

1:18:04are being used to support killing and

1:18:07maiming of children like my own

1:18:09children, of healthcare workers and

1:18:11hospitals like my own colleagues and the

1:18:13hospitals I work at. And we are up here

1:18:16listening to arguments about

1:18:17whataboutism, about dehumanization,

1:18:20and um and that's okay. We're hearing

1:18:23that some lives don't matter, that some

1:18:25children's don't lives don't matter,

1:18:26that only the only those in this room,

1:18:29their child children matter. I'm here to

1:18:30tell you that I don't care just about my

1:18:32children, but I care about all children

1:18:34around the world and I encourage you to

1:18:37vote um in favor of policy order seven

1:18:39and eight. Thank you.

1:18:41>> Our next speaker is Michael Goodman,

1:18:43followed by Galia Rossen Swig, then

1:18:46Maryann Fox.

1:18:47Michael, 1 minute.

1:18:50>> Hi, I'm Mike. I live at 237 Franklin,

1:18:53couple blocks that way. I'm speaking in

1:18:55favor of policy order seven and eight on

1:18:57divestment and boycott. We tried to pass

1:18:59similar orders in 2021, 2024. I was

1:19:02there both times speaking out in favor.

1:19:04I don't like speaking in public like

1:19:05this. Makes me very uncomfortable. I'm

1:19:07autistic. That makes it hard for me, but

1:19:09I'm here again because of how important

1:19:11the issue is. And the reality is we all

1:19:13have to do hard things we don't want to

1:19:14do in the face of this ongoing atrocity

1:19:17in Gaza.

1:19:18I I know voting to pass these orders

1:19:20calling out Israel committing a

1:19:21genocide, it's a hard thing for a

1:19:23counselor to do. The pressure to vote no

1:19:25could be immense.

1:19:26But voting yes is the right thing to do.

1:19:28I thank and appreciate the counselors

1:19:30that have pledged a yes vote, but others

1:19:33need to step up because the reality is

1:19:35Palestine will be free in our lives.

1:19:38Uh Cambridge can be a leader in that

1:19:40historical moment like it has been in

1:19:42the past with South African apartheid or

1:19:45it can just continue to be a tool for

1:19:46the money to eat. I prefer the first

1:19:49option, so uh please vote for this order

1:19:51unamended. Thank you.

1:19:53>> Our next speaker is Galia Rossen Swig,

1:19:56followed by Maryann Fox, then Rohil A.

1:20:02Galia?

1:20:05Galia has not joined. We're going to

1:20:07move to Maryann Fox.

1:20:14Maryann Fox, followed by Rohil A, then

1:20:17Virginia Fisher.

1:20:23>> Good evening. Maryann Fox, 35-year

1:20:25Cambridge resident. For the past year

1:20:27I've been working with Palestinian

1:20:28families both here and in Gaza.

1:20:31And I have two people on my mind tonight

1:20:33as I come before you.

1:20:35Um one is a little 3-year-old girl in

1:20:39Gaza who has all of her little limbs

1:20:42blown off, both of her arms and her

1:20:44legs, with her mother beside her praying

1:20:47that her daughter would die.

1:20:49The other person

1:20:51is someone in Cambridge in Central

1:20:53Square

1:20:54that is recently as several weeks ago

1:20:56was standing in the middle of

1:20:57Massachusetts Ave in front of Target

1:21:00screaming at a sign that said feed Gaza

1:21:02families they're all Hamas.

1:21:06They're all Hamas.

1:21:08Even that little girl

1:21:10when I think of her, I think of what

1:21:12part of my work week funded the bombs

1:21:14that blew off her little arms and legs.

1:21:17Was it my spreadsheet? Was it my Zoom

1:21:19meeting?

1:21:20Genocide requires intent. You have

1:21:22TikTok, you have Google, you have eyes.

1:21:25>> Thank you.

1:21:26>> you to decide. Thank you.

1:21:27>> is Rohil A, followed by Virginia

1:21:30Fischer, then Hillary F. We are at

1:21:33speaker number 60. Rohil, 1 minute.

1:21:35Please go ahead.

1:21:37>> Councilors, thank you for being here

1:21:38this evening. My name is Rohil and I'm a

1:21:41graduate student at MIT speaking in

1:21:43support of policy orders 7 and 8.

1:21:45A city's investments are one of the

1:21:47clearest and most powerful ways it can

1:21:49express its values. Investing in

1:21:51companies that are participating in a

1:21:52genocide runs counter to the values of

1:21:54Cambridge and its people.

1:21:56Though Cambridge has a responsibility to

1:21:58support community well-being through its

1:21:59investments, defining well-being as

1:22:01simply obtaining the highest rate of

1:22:03return is much too narrow. Doing our

1:22:05part to support human rights and global

1:22:08stability is a much more significant

1:22:10contributor to the long-term well-being

1:22:11of the world and our community than

1:22:14making an extra few hundreds of a

1:22:16percent in short-term returns.

1:22:19As we look to the future, we should see

1:22:20public pension funds as a way to finance

1:22:22community development projects in areas

1:22:24like affordable housing and

1:22:25infrastructure instead. Tonight, I ask

1:22:28that you cast a vote in favor of

1:22:29justice, human rights, and a brighter

1:22:30future for all people from Cambridge to

1:22:32Palestine. I ask that you vote to

1:22:34divest. Thank you.

1:22:36>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Virginia

1:22:39Fisher followed by Hillary F, then Hill

1:22:43S.

1:22:44Virginia?

1:22:45>> Thank you. My name is Virginia Fisher. I

1:22:47live on Clinton Street in Mid-Cambridge.

1:22:50I'm here to ask the council to support

1:22:52policy order 7 and 8 divesting from

1:22:55companies complicit in the genocide in

1:22:56Palestine.

1:22:58I'm proud to live here and be part of

1:22:59this community where people work every

1:23:01day to bring our actions into line with

1:23:04our values of human rights and dignity

1:23:06for all.

1:23:07International institutions, including

1:23:09the United Nations, Doctors Without

1:23:11Borders, and more, have clearly

1:23:13recognized this is apartheid and

1:23:16genocide with the direct support of the

1:23:18US government.

1:23:20As Americans, we have the choice to make

1:23:23excuses or look away.

1:23:25Or we can choose to stand up, to turn

1:23:28our heartbreak into action, to draw a

1:23:30clear line in every sphere we can

1:23:32influence, and refuse to accept that our

1:23:35city continues to do business with

1:23:37companies that profit from atrocity.

1:23:40Thank you.

1:23:41>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Hillary F

1:23:44followed by Hill S.

1:23:47Hillary?

1:23:491 minute.

1:23:51>> My name is Hillary. I'm a Cambridge

1:23:53resident of 35 years and my daughter

1:23:55attended Vassal Lane.

1:23:57Many of you knew Chris Affleck who

1:23:59passed away this summer.

1:24:01Chris was a gifted Cambridge public

1:24:03school teacher for 35 years. In the last

1:24:05years of her life, Chris fought to end

1:24:07genocide in Gaza.

1:24:09She helped to organize the Alliance for

1:24:11Water Justice in Palestine.

1:24:13Chris would be horrified to know that

1:24:15Cambridge has 28 million invested in

1:24:18companies that promote genocide.

1:24:21The CPS has currently an of about 7,000

1:24:24children. That's about 1/3 of the number

1:24:27of children murdered in Gaza since

1:24:29October 7th, 2023, which is over 22,000

1:24:33children.

1:24:34How are these children less worthy of

1:24:37happy safe lives than our children?

1:24:39For those of you saying this is not a

1:24:41genocide, it is simply not the truth.

1:24:44As a mother and teacher, this makes me

1:24:46sick that you're on the fence about any

1:24:47of this. How could you be? You have the

1:24:50power. We have to do the right thing and

1:24:53pass these ordinances.

1:24:54>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Hill S

1:24:57followed by

1:24:59Talia Krakauer, then Judy Samberg. Hill.

1:25:03>> My name is Hill. I have worked for the

1:25:04city of Cambridge as a full-time

1:25:06employee for over 10 years and invested

1:25:09in the retirement program. When I

1:25:11learned that millions of dollars of

1:25:12retirement money were being invested in

1:25:14Israeli companies that profit off of the

1:25:16genocide, occupation, and apartheid in

1:25:19Palestine, I was appalled. These harmful

1:25:21investments are antithetical to my

1:25:23values and to the values this city has

1:25:25purported to have as well. This city

1:25:27council took a bold and crucial step by

1:25:28naming South Africa in their divestment

1:25:30efforts in 1980. Why now is there pause

1:25:33in naming Israel as the perpetrator? I

1:25:35spend each and every day working with

1:25:36Cambridge families. Perhaps the

1:25:38councilors are not aware of just how

1:25:39many of their constituents are deeply

1:25:41and personally affected by the genocide.

1:25:43Families from Palestine and Lebanon, two

1:25:45nations that are being ethnically

1:25:47cleansed and occupied by Israel, are

1:25:49living in each corner of Cambridge.

1:25:51Their interest dismissed and voices

1:25:53ignored. These voices matter to me as a

1:25:56city employee, and I would hope they

1:25:57matter to you as well, and divestment is

1:25:59the first step.

1:26:01>> Our next speaker is Talia Krakauer,

1:26:04followed by Judy Samberg, then Aretha

1:26:07Gwo. Talia.

1:26:08>> Hello, my name is Talia. I'm a Cambridge

1:26:10resident. I'm speaking about agenda

1:26:12items 7 and 8. I have a child who's

1:26:14afraid to wear his kippah on his head

1:26:16only in Cambridge. I have another kid

1:26:18who's afraid for his own teacher to know

1:26:19that he's Jewish with Israeli

1:26:21grandparents. Jews account for 4% of the

1:26:23Massachusetts population, yet are

1:26:24targets of 83% of religious hate crimes.

1:26:28If the council chooses to vilify Israel

1:26:29and only Israel, it will inflame the

1:26:32hostility we already experience. You all

1:26:34campaigned to make Cambridge more

1:26:36inclusive.

1:26:37Please vote no to show that we all

1:26:39belong belong here. Show my kids that

1:26:40they belong here. Let's build bridges

1:26:43here in Cambridge.

1:26:46>> As I said earlier, please no clapping.

1:26:49>> Sorry, I

1:26:50>> We I

1:26:52As I said again, the goal of tonight is

1:26:54to make sure everyone gets heard.

1:26:56And

1:26:58clapping does not help. So, please, as I

1:27:00said, I'm

1:27:03you know, I really want us to take these

1:27:05rules of order seriously.

1:27:09>> Thank you, Madam Mayor. Our next speaker

1:27:11is Judy Somberg, followed by Aretha

1:27:13Gual, then Evan Kanter.

1:27:16Judy, 1 minute. Please go ahead.

1:27:19>> Judy Somberg, 48 Antrim Street for over

1:27:2340 years, and a proud member of Boston

1:27:26Workers Circle, a center for Jewish

1:27:28culture, which in 2025 called for

1:27:31Massachusetts to divest its pension

1:27:34funds from companies profiting from war

1:27:37and genocide.

1:27:39The reason we did that because we had an

1:27:42imperative as Jews to say never again.

1:27:46And now, today, I feel that same

1:27:49imperative, and also

1:27:52the reason we single out Israel is

1:27:55because our US government is the one

1:27:58that has enabled this genocide in Israel

1:28:01with repeated military, financial, and

1:28:04political support. Every president,

1:28:07Republican, Democrat, unfortunately, our

1:28:11Congress. So, we have to take action at

1:28:15every possible level to speak out to

1:28:19stop this genocide. Thank you.

1:28:21>> Our next speaker is Aretha Guo, followed

1:28:25by Evan Canter, then Jesse Bear.

1:28:30>> Hi, thank you for letting me address

1:28:32you. My name is Aretha Guo and I am a

1:28:34Cambridge, uh specifically Kendall

1:28:36Square, resident of 5 years.

1:28:38Um of course, I'm always proud and speak

1:28:40to all my relatives and friends about

1:28:42how I'm so proud to be in a city, uh

1:28:44that prioritizes education, community

1:28:46health, innovation, uh entrepreneurship,

1:28:50and uh creativity.

1:28:52What I do not take pride in, and

1:28:54actually feel the greatest moral shame

1:28:56in, is how our city pours public funds

1:28:59and rides the coattails of companies

1:29:01that are complicit in a machinery of

1:29:04surveillance, apartheid,

1:29:05state-sanctioned starvation, and ethnic

1:29:07cleansing.

1:29:09Being a part of this machinery,

1:29:11uh makes Cambridge complicit and

1:29:12actually takes away from its credibility

1:29:15as a beacon of education, innovation,

1:29:17and community security. So, I urge you

1:29:19all to um divest our public funds from

1:29:23genocide and companies that are

1:29:24complicit, and instead focus on

1:29:26community well-being, uh for the health

1:29:28and actual security of our residents.

1:29:30Thank you so much.

1:29:32>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Evan

1:29:34Canter, followed by Jesse Bear, then

1:29:37Nancy Manucharian.

1:29:41Evan, please go ahead.

1:29:44>> Debbie

1:29:45Shekhtman.

1:29:47Shlomi

1:29:48Shekhtman.

1:29:51A mother wraps herself around her son,

1:29:53hides him under a blanket, hiding from

1:29:56bullets shot at innocent civilians. No

1:30:00mother

1:30:02should have to hide her son like this.

1:30:03Not a mother in Cambridge, not a mother

1:30:06in Israel, not a mother in Gaza. But the

1:30:09mother I'm talking about is Debbie

1:30:12Shaked of Israel. Debbie and her husband

1:30:15died on October 7th from the

1:30:17bullets shot by Hamas terrorists, and

1:30:20they died covering their son who

1:30:22survived that day trying to save their

1:30:24son.

1:30:25But Debbie,

1:30:27Shlomi, and the thousands of other

1:30:29innocent victims of October 7th are

1:30:31ignored by this shameful resolution.

1:30:34Ignored.

1:30:36But they are survived. Debbie and Shlomi

1:30:38are survived by Adina

1:30:40Adina

1:30:42Krasco of Needham, Massachusetts. And

1:30:44this resolution by ignoring

1:30:46>> has expired. Please email us the

1:30:48remainder.

1:30:48>> doesn't matter. Oppose this and tell

1:30:51Adina that her family

1:30:53>> Sir, your time has expired. us the

1:30:55remainder. Your time is up. We'll go to

1:30:56the next speaker, please.

1:30:58Our next speaker is Jesse Bear, followed

1:31:00by Nancy Manucharian, then Jean Connery.

1:31:05>> I'm here as a lifelong Cantabrigian and

1:31:08the proud descendant of at least two

1:31:09generations of non- and anti-Zionist

1:31:11Jews.

1:31:12As I have testified in this very chamber

1:31:14earlier this year, I'm quite worried

1:31:15about antisemitism. I wish I could deny

1:31:18that I see it growing, including on the

1:31:19left.

1:31:21But denial of plain reality never

1:31:22addresses the things we refuse to see.

1:31:25Of course, this also applies to the

1:31:26Israeli government's commission of

1:31:28genocide and how we choose to respond.

1:31:30The worst thing you can do for the

1:31:32Jewish community of Cambridge is to deny

1:31:34the plain reality that anyone can see

1:31:35with their eyes and say you're doing it

1:31:37on behalf of Jews.

1:31:39As a side note, it was one of those

1:31:41early protests that supposedly

1:31:42celebrated October 7th that brought me

1:31:44back to my Judaism. As I broke down

1:31:47crying seeing Jews standing up to the

1:31:48atrocity we all saw coming.

1:31:50Despite the slander you've heard

1:31:52tonight, in my experience this movement

1:31:53represents the best of the city, and I'm

1:31:55proud to stand with it.

1:32:00>> Our next speaker is Nancy Manucharian

1:32:04followed by Jean Conner Connerney then

1:32:07Kathy Cabrera.

1:32:09Nancy, please go ahead.

1:32:11>> Thank you. Nancy Manucharian Newton

1:32:13reading for Cambridge resident Dr. Mark

1:32:15resident Dr. Mark Eisenberg. He writes,

1:32:18"I recently returned from a delegation

1:32:20to the West Bank. I passed through

1:32:21multiple check-checkpoints enabled by

1:32:24Palantir technology. I witnessed

1:32:26firsthand Tulkarm refugee camp where

1:32:28caterpillar tractors destroyed houses

1:32:31and medical facilities. I met a

1:32:33Palestinian healthcare worker whose

1:32:35partner was shot from an Apache from an

1:32:37Apache helicopter manufactured by

1:32:39Lockheed Martin. As a physician, I'm

1:32:41appalled by the wanton destruction of

1:32:43hospitals and the targeting of

1:32:45healthcare workers in Gaza enabled by

1:32:48our tax dollars. I'm Jewish. My four

1:32:50grandparents fled anti-Semitic programs

1:32:52in Eastern Europe to come here. They

1:32:54would be appalled that the country they

1:32:56fled to is now enabling a program

1:32:59against another people. Let's set an

1:33:01example for the rest of the country and

1:33:03divest our pension funds from these war

1:33:05profiteering companies. As an Armenian,

1:33:08I say genocide denial is a crime. Don't

1:33:11be complicit."

1:33:13>> Madam Clerk, we're going to go back to

1:33:15an earlier skipped name.

1:33:17Uh we will go to Galia Rosen Swig then

1:33:21that will be followed by Jean Connerney

1:33:23then Kathy Cabrera. Galia, please go

1:33:26ahead.

1:33:28>> Uh hi. Uh my name is Guy Rosen Swig. I

1:33:30live in the North Cambridge and I'm here

1:33:32to speak um

1:33:34on the agenda on item number seven. And

1:33:36I want to urge you uh to reject both

1:33:38policy orders 195 and 196.

1:33:41Um

1:33:42we've heard a lot from uh

1:33:45Jews living uh in city in Cambridge and

1:33:47around that feel very safe because

1:33:50they're the right kind of Jews and they

1:33:51support

1:33:52um their pro-Palestine movement and

1:33:54they're against uh uh the state of

1:33:56Israel and I I am Zionist.

1:33:59Um and as the wrong kind of Jew, I want

1:34:01to say that not all of us feel safe in

1:34:03the city.

1:34:04And I want to ask you when you

1:34:06weigh this decision and try to think

1:34:08like any other decision in life, what

1:34:09are the costs and what are the benefits?

1:34:11How many Palestinian lives are going to

1:34:14be saved by voting yes on this

1:34:17resolution? I do not deny that there's a

1:34:19war in the region. I do not deny that

1:34:20there's suffering. But how many lives

1:34:22are going to be saved versus how much

1:34:24harm is being done here to my children

1:34:26who go to the public school systems and

1:34:28feel

1:34:29hostility there, to us walking on the

1:34:31street and feel unwelcome in the city.

1:34:34So please weigh these two when you make

1:34:35the decision. Thank you.

1:34:36>> Thank you. We are going to move on to

1:34:38speaker number 70, Gene Conerny,

1:34:41followed by Kathy Cabrera, then Eli

1:34:44Gerzon.

1:34:45Gene, 1 minute.

1:34:47>> Good evening. My name is Genie Conerny.

1:34:49I'm a grad student at Harvard. Thank you

1:34:52for the opportunity to testify in favor

1:34:54of divestment and boycott, policy orders

1:34:567 and 8. As someone with two degrees in

1:34:59philosophy who is now studying religion,

1:35:02I'd like to address the ethics of this

1:35:04proposal. The Dalai Lama says simply, if

1:35:07you can, do good. If you cannot do good,

1:35:10at least do no harm. And yet these

1:35:12investments are doing grave harm by

1:35:14funding the mass slaughter of

1:35:15Palestinians and the attempted erasure

1:35:18of an entire civilization.

1:35:20Ideally, Cambridge would do good by

1:35:22investing this $28 million

1:35:24in companies that improve human lives

1:35:26rather than ending them. If you cannot

1:35:28do that immediately, however, I urge you

1:35:30to find neutral companies in which to

1:35:32invest. Just please divest from murder

1:35:36and do no harm. It's the least our city

1:35:38could do during a genocide. Thank you.

1:35:42Free Palestine.

1:35:43>> Our next speaker is Kathy Cabrera,

1:35:45followed by Eli Gerzon, then Anna R.

1:35:49Kathy, 1 minute.

1:35:51>> Thank you. My name is Kathy Cabrera. I

1:35:54live on Reed Street Terrace in North

1:35:55Cambridge. I've lived in Cambridge over

1:35:5625 years. I'm speaking today to ask the

1:35:59city council to vote no on policy orders

1:36:01195 and 196. The city of Cambridge does

1:36:04not have a foreign policy and if it does

1:36:05choose to have a foreign policy, it

1:36:07should be fair and objective in calling

1:36:08out the international conflicts in which

1:36:09it opposes. Why select only this

1:36:11conflict in Israel and Gaza to focus on?

1:36:14Was there a formal decision process? I

1:36:16don't think so. I think more likely this

1:36:18conflict rose above all other conflicts

1:36:20because Jewish people were involved. As

1:36:22a Jewish person living in Cambridge, I

1:36:23feel singled out and less safe in the

1:36:25community just because this policy order

1:36:27was submitted. If it passes, I will feel

1:36:28even less safe. Cambridge can do better.

1:36:31If we want to tackle complex foreign

1:36:32policy issues, we can do that in ways

1:36:34that highlight the best of our city

1:36:35rather than this performative policy

1:36:37order that will only divide our

1:36:38community and create new problems for

1:36:40the city to solve. Thank you very much.

1:36:43>> Our next speaker is Eli Gerzon followed

1:36:45by Anna R then Lisa Levine Cobos.

1:36:50>> Hello. Uh my name is Eli Gerzon. Um I

1:36:53live in Arlington but I've lived and

1:36:54worked in Cambridge off and on for for

1:36:56decades. Um I'm a member of Jewish Voice

1:36:59for Peace. We are the largest

1:37:00anti-Zionist organization in the world.

1:37:03I'm also member of the Democratic

1:37:05Socialists of America, the largest

1:37:07socialist organization in in uh US

1:37:09history. Um

1:37:12I grew up hearing stories of just how

1:37:14incredibly lucky my Dutch Jewish

1:37:17grandfather was to survive the

1:37:18Holocaust, right? And over 40 members of

1:37:21my family were not lucky and were

1:37:23killed. Um that type of racist violence

1:37:26inspires me to take a stand against

1:37:28racist violence. Um the idea that people

1:37:31use the trauma of families like mine as

1:37:33an excuse to

1:37:35inflict a genocide on the Palestinian

1:37:37people is disgusting to me and I hope

1:37:39that you will stand on the right side of

1:37:41history and vote to oppose this genocide

1:37:43and support divestment. Thank you.

1:37:46>> Our next speaker is Anna R, followed by

1:37:50Lisa Levine Cobos, then Sharon Coleman.

1:37:55>> Hello, my name is Anna. I live and work

1:37:57in Cambridge. I'm a Cambridge city

1:37:58worker. And the pension fund for

1:38:00Cambridge city workers is currently

1:38:01invested in many companies that profit

1:38:04by enabling the genocide and occupation

1:38:05in Palestine. Among these genocide

1:38:08profiteers that our city is currently

1:38:09invested in is Palantir, a company which

1:38:12provides technology to Israel's military

1:38:14that is used to bomb Palestinians, as

1:38:16well as technology that's used by ICE to

1:38:18terrorize people here in the US. Our

1:38:21investment in this sort of company

1:38:22powers the genocide. We must divest to

1:38:25end the city's complicity with Israel's

1:38:27genocide and occupation. And in doing

1:38:29so, we will also be cutting ties with

1:38:31companies that profit from oppression

1:38:32and injustice all over the world,

1:38:34including in our own communities. I'm a

1:38:36Cambridge public library worker, and I

1:38:38don't want my retirement fund to depend

1:38:40on the success of companies that make

1:38:42life unlivable for oppressed people. I

1:38:44urge city councilors to vote tonight in

1:38:46favor of the divestment policy order.

1:38:48Thank you for listening.

1:38:50>> Our next speaker is Lisa Levine Cobos,

1:38:53followed by Sharon Coleman, then Elana

1:38:56Bloomfield. Lisa, you have the floor, 1

1:38:59minute.

1:39:00>> Hello, my name is Lisa Levine Cobos. I

1:39:02live in Newton, Massachusetts. I'm

1:39:04addressing this council because the

1:39:06proposals to boycott and divest from

1:39:08Israeli companies are rooted in false

1:39:10and deeply damaging accusations of

1:39:12genocide and apartheid. These

1:39:14accusations are part of a deliberate

1:39:16propaganda campaign to delegitimize

1:39:18Israel, demonize Jews, and stoke

1:39:20antisemitism worldwide. These proposals

1:39:23ignore the brutal October 7th attack on

1:39:25Israel that precipitated the war in

1:39:27Gaza. Meanwhile, the Palestinian people

1:39:30continue to suffer under Hamas's

1:39:32oppressive rule. These boycotts do

1:39:34nothing to help them or address the

1:39:35violence and repression they endure. It

1:39:38is deeply troubling that such a highly

1:39:40educated community like Cambridge would

1:39:42lend its authority to a deliberate

1:39:44campaign to vilify Israel and fuel

1:39:46antisemitism, particularly at a time of

1:39:49alarming violence and hatred directed at

1:39:51Jews worldwide. I urge this council to

1:39:53question the narratives it is endorsing

1:39:55and consider the harm these divisive

1:39:57policies inflict on my community. Vote

1:39:59no on these policy orders.

1:40:02>> Our next speaker is Sharon Coleman,

1:40:04followed by Ilana Bloomfield, then Nurul

1:40:07Kabir. Sharon?

1:40:09>> Good evening. Sharon Coleman, I'm a

1:40:12resident of Cambridge. I'm speaking

1:40:14against agenda item seven and eight.

1:40:17Three months ago, my then 13-year-old

1:40:20son, who was born and raised here in

1:40:23Cambridge,

1:40:24was playing with his friends,

1:40:27was called a Jew by two of his friends

1:40:31over an ordinary soccer hangout.

1:40:34There were other Jewish kids present, so

1:40:37the two friends kept on

1:40:39saying, "Yeah, but you are the worst

1:40:42kind of Jew because you are half

1:40:45Israeli."

1:40:47My son felt alone, horrified, shocked,

1:40:50hurt, rejected, and confused.

1:40:54These are his friends.

1:40:57Antisemitic hate is already here in our

1:40:59homes, in our playground.

1:41:02It is harming our community at large,

1:41:04including my son and his friends that

1:41:07will live with the hateful things they

1:41:10said.

1:41:11I urge you to vote vote against agenda

1:41:14>> Please email us the remainder of your

1:41:15comment. We're going to move on to

1:41:18speaker number 76, Ilana Bloomfield,

1:41:21followed by Nurul Kabir, then Nitzan

1:41:24Peleg. Ilana, you have 1 minute. Please

1:41:27go ahead.

1:41:30>> Hi, my name is Ilana Bloomfield. I'm a

1:41:33Somerville resident, a physician who who

1:41:35in Cambridge, and a Jewish mother. And

1:41:37I'm speaking against policy number

1:41:39seven.

1:41:40At the Somerville City Hall Council

1:41:41meeting when BDS was presented in the

1:41:43past year, my children were surrounded

1:41:46as they walked by on their way out after

1:41:49experiencing the democratic process. And

1:41:51they walked through masked protesters

1:41:54screaming and cheering at us.

1:41:56They became frightened and started

1:41:57crying. Police ultimately had to escort

1:42:00us out of the building and onto the

1:42:01street.

1:42:02Many of those protesters carried signs

1:42:05reportedly advocating for children in

1:42:08Gaza.

1:42:09And yet, the frightened children

1:42:10directly in front of them seemed

1:42:12unworthy of compassion.

1:42:15We should be deeply suspicious of

1:42:17movements that divide the world so

1:42:18confidently into good and evil that

1:42:21ordinary boundaries of decency

1:42:22disappear. This is not a zero-sum game,

1:42:26and BDS is a movement that undermines

1:42:28our hope for lasting peace. There is

1:42:30profound irony in considering this

1:42:32ordinance ethical.

1:42:34>> Please email the remainder of your

1:42:36comment.

1:42:37>> Naomi, um we're going to go to

1:42:38Councillor Ezuusi really quickly.

1:42:39Councillor Ezuusi?

1:42:41>> Um I'd like to propose a motion to

1:42:43suspend the rules and allow

1:42:44Representative Connolly to speak.

1:42:47>> So, Councillor Ezuusi uh has uh made a

1:42:50motion to suspend the rules to allow

1:42:53Rep. Connolly to speak out of order. On

1:42:55that motion, we'll do a roll call.

1:42:59>> Councillor ElZubeir.

1:43:00>> Yes.

1:43:01>> Yes. Vice Mayor Azeem.

1:43:02>> Yes.

1:43:03>> Yes. Councillor Flaherty.

1:43:05>> Yes.

1:43:06>> Yes. Councillor McGovern. Yes.

1:43:08Councillor Nolan. Yes. Councillor

1:43:10Simmons.

1:43:11>> Yes.

1:43:12>> Yes. Councillor Sabrina Wheeler. Yes.

1:43:14Councillor Ezuusi.

1:43:15>> Yes.

1:43:15>> Yes. Mayor Siddiqui.

1:43:17>> Yes.

1:43:17>> Yes. And you have nine members recorded

1:43:18in the affirmative.

1:43:19>> Our next speaker

1:43:21>> who has 1 minute, and then we'll go to

1:43:23uh Niraj Kabir.

1:43:25>> Well, thank you, Madam Mayor and members

1:43:27of the Council for taking me out of

1:43:28turn. Uh my name is Mike Connolly. I

1:43:30have the honor of representing Cambridge

1:43:32and Somerville in the House of

1:43:33Representatives. I'm here to speak on

1:43:35two items this evening. Uh first, I

1:43:38encourage you to prohibit city

1:43:40investments and contracts with companies

1:43:42that sustain Israel's genocide,

1:43:45apartheid, and illegal occupation of

1:43:48Palestine. Last year, Somerville voters

1:43:50expressed strong support for this

1:43:53policy, and I hope we can work together

1:43:55here in Cambridge to take this

1:43:57meaningful stand as well.

1:43:59Second, I want to uplift the policy

1:44:01order but on combined sewer overflows at

1:44:04Magazine Beach. I want to say thank you

1:44:06to Counselor Zuzzy for your long-time

1:44:08leadership on this topic. For my part, I

1:44:11have been clear that we will never

1:44:13sacrifice our city's second largest park

1:44:16for a water storage tank. I can say that

1:44:19DCR, Senator DiDomenico, the city

1:44:22manager, and neighborhood leaders all

1:44:24agree on this point. And on Thursday,

1:44:26I've organized a meeting with the MWRA

1:44:29to reiterate this point. Thank you.

1:44:33>> Thank you. We will resume with the list.

1:44:36Thank you for holding. We are now at

1:44:38speaker number 77, Nurul Kabir, followed

1:44:42by Nitzan Peleg, then Charles Glick.

1:44:45Nurul, 1 minute.

1:44:48>> Good evening, council members.

1:44:50I am Nurul, and I have been living in

1:44:52Cambridge for over 30 years.

1:44:55My three children were born here. We all

1:44:58five vote here.

1:45:01As my children passed through Graham and

1:45:02Parks and Cambridge Rindge and Latin, we

1:45:05were proud of the values the curriculum

1:45:07taught.

1:45:08There was an essay that my daughter

1:45:10discussed with me in her fifth grade

1:45:13by Ursula Le Guin about the town where

1:45:15all the people were supremely happy

1:45:18except that the trade-off rest rested on

1:45:20the perpetual misery of a single child

1:45:23imprisoned in a dark basement closet.

1:45:26The people of Palestine is the child of

1:45:29Lego in story.

1:45:31The question we confront today

1:45:34is what are the values

1:45:37we try to import import to our children

1:45:40without continuing investment in

1:45:42companies

1:45:44complicit in the genocide of Palestinian

1:45:46people by the state of Israel. Thank

1:45:49you.

1:45:50>> Our next speaker is Nitsan Peleg,

1:45:52followed by Charles Glick, then Michael

1:45:55Canter. Nitsan, you have 1 minute.

1:45:57Please go ahead.

1:46:00>> My name is Nitsan Peleg

1:46:03and I've lived in Cambridge for 13

1:46:04years. I'm here to urge you to reject

1:46:07policy orders 195-196.

1:46:10For the past 3 years, I've been feeling

1:46:12unsafe in a city I used to love calling

1:46:14home. We've been experiencing regular

1:46:16attempts to exclude and isolate a very

1:46:19specific group of people that is singled

1:46:22out based on ethnicity and nationality.

1:46:25You may think this is not about

1:46:27anti-Semitism, but it is.

1:46:29People are already on edge. We have

1:46:32already documented violent incidents

1:46:35targeting Jews all over the city.

1:46:37Swastikas and serial less aren't an

1:46:40abnormal thing. I have had to actively

1:46:42avoid places in the city, especially

1:46:44when I'm with my young kids. These

1:46:47policy orders will not only do nothing

1:46:49to help the situation in the Middle East

1:46:51and they will do everything to fan the

1:46:53flames here in Cambridge. This is

1:46:55supposed to be a welcoming city and that

1:46:57should mean for everyone. Stop dividing

1:46:59our community and start dealing with the

1:47:01very real problems you

1:47:04>> Thank you. Again, as a reminder for

1:47:05folks whose time expires, please email

1:47:07us the remainder or all of your comment

1:47:10at [email protected].

1:47:13We're going to move right along to

1:47:14speaker number 79, Charles Glick,

1:47:17followed by Michael Canter, then Laura

1:47:20Germanis. Charles, you have the floor.

1:47:22Please unmute yourself. 1 minute.

1:47:29>> Hi, my name is Charles Glick. I've been

1:47:31a resident in Cambridge for more than 20

1:47:32years, and I've devoted my professional

1:47:34life to helping give voice to some of

1:47:35the most disaffected voices in

1:47:37Massachusetts as the lead lobbyist for

1:47:39many progressive issues and causes.

1:47:41I'm also a proud Jew and a Zionist, and

1:47:43I can hold all those identities and

1:47:45still want to see peace and security for

1:47:46Palestinians and even take issue with a

1:47:49democratically elected government in

1:47:50Israel.

1:47:51These policy orders, however, single out

1:47:54one country, the region's only

1:47:56democracy, and contribute to an

1:47:57atmosphere in which Jewish and Israeli

1:47:59residents feel isolated, unwelcomed, or

1:48:02unsafe in their own city.

1:48:04And as a previous speaker said, it acts

1:48:06as collective punishment to an entire

1:48:08country, including millions who have

1:48:11protested the current government.

1:48:13The inevitable outcome of this policy

1:48:15order that would create more

1:48:16divisiveness and hatred and

1:48:18anti-Semitism runs counter to the very

1:48:20wording of the policy order, which leads

1:48:23by the statement saying that the city of

1:48:25Cambridge is welcoming and does not

1:48:26support discrimination anywhere in the

1:48:28world except I guess here in Cambridge.

1:48:31Like

1:48:32>> Our next speaker is Michael Canter,

1:48:34followed by Laura Germanis, then Alex G.

1:48:38Michael?

1:48:42Michael is on Zoom. Michael, um I will

1:48:45unmute you. Please go ahead. You have

1:48:46the floor.

1:48:51>> Good evening.

1:48:52My name is Michael Canter. I am a

1:48:54Harvard Law student currently living in

1:48:56the Cambridge area.

1:48:58I want to talk about how dangerous this

1:49:00actually makes it for Jewish students at

1:49:03Harvard and MIT.

1:49:05These orders are not just about the

1:49:07procurement office. When a city adopts

1:49:10BDS framing that labels Israel, the only

1:49:12Jewish state in the world, a quote

1:49:14genocidal apartheid state,

1:49:16it hands campus activists that already

1:49:19actively want to harm Jews an official

1:49:21script.

1:49:23The script is already being used at

1:49:24Harvard and MIT

1:49:26to treat Jewish students as legitimate

1:49:28targets if they simply support Israel's

1:49:30existence, where many of their family

1:49:32members are from.

1:49:34Or if they refuse to disavow Zionism or

1:49:36simply show up to campus spaces as Jews.

1:49:40The result is concrete. Jewish students

1:49:42already face doxing, event shutdowns,

1:49:44social exclusion, and physical

1:49:46intimidation.

1:49:47City endorsement of these measures

1:49:49signals their concerns are secondary and

1:49:52that the underlying narratives are

1:49:53approved by the city itself.

1:49:55This

1:49:57>> Our next speaker is Lara Germanaus,

1:50:00followed by Alex G, then Nancy Murray.

1:50:03Lara, you have 1 minute. Please go

1:50:05ahead.

1:50:08>> My name is Lara Germanaus. I am an

1:50:10instructor at Harvard Medical School and

1:50:12a physician practicing in Cambridge.

1:50:15I support divestment. I am Lebanese and

1:50:17Palestinian, and my family has suffered

1:50:19Israeli violence for decades.

1:50:22I also personally experienced severe

1:50:24bullying as a child growing up in

1:50:26Medford, Massachusetts, but bullying and

1:50:28racism against Arabs is so normalized

1:50:30that no one talked about it or

1:50:32recognized it.

1:50:33Racism underpins genocide and the

1:50:36ongoing erasure of our people and our

1:50:38stories. Harvard has eliminated nearly

1:50:41all programs and departments which teach

1:50:43about Palestine. The reason this is

1:50:45tolerated is racism. And so, I beg

1:50:48council not to be misled by testimony

1:50:50that oddly suggests that continuing to

1:50:53invest in weapons companies will protect

1:50:57any single religious group. I keep

1:51:00wondering, do Arabs and Palestinians

1:51:02matter? Do our fellow citizens think we

1:51:03deserve to have continue to have our

1:51:05loved ones massacred in the name of

1:51:06keeping so-called peace? Cambridge is

1:51:08complicit in genocide. You may

1:51:12>> Our next speaker is Alex G, followed by

1:51:14Nancy Murray, then Harvey Cambridge.

1:51:18Alex, please go ahead, 1 minute.

1:51:20>> Good evening. My name is Alex Greenwald.

1:51:22I'm a resident of Area 8.

1:51:24I'm here to urge the council to vote in

1:51:26favor of policy orders 7 and 8 to simply

1:51:28divest from companies complicit in the

1:51:30explicitly named Israeli genocide of

1:51:32Palestinians.

1:51:33This is one small part in protecting

1:51:34both Palestinians and our own citizens

1:51:36of Cambridge.

1:51:37If you're worried about anti-Semitism,

1:51:39then know this. As an Jewish-American, I

1:51:41have never needed a foreign

1:51:42nuclear-armed nation to represent me.

1:51:44This is my home. Apologism for Israel's

1:51:47genocidal actions primarily serves to

1:51:49attach the perpetration of genocide to

1:51:50Jewishness.

1:51:52My status as a Jew may give me a lot to

1:51:54talk about regarding the idea of Israel,

1:51:56but my status as a human being makes it

1:51:58obvious that we must do everything in

1:52:00our power to combat the atrocities that

1:52:01Israel and the multinational

1:52:03corporations these policy orders

1:52:04actually concern are enacting on

1:52:06Palestinians. Every dollar we spend that

1:52:08goes to companies that profit from

1:52:10genocide is a vote to continue genocide.

1:52:12We have the power and the responsibility

1:52:13to do better. Thank you for your time.

1:52:16>> Our next speaker is Nancy Murray,

1:52:19followed by Harvey Cambridge, then Jude

1:52:22G.

1:52:24Nancy?

1:52:24>> Yeah, my name is Nancy Murray. I've

1:52:26lived for 30 years on Erie Street in

1:52:29Cambridge.

1:52:30For me, divesting from the genocide in

1:52:32Gaza is not just a matter of conscience,

1:52:36but deeply personal.

1:52:38I have made a dozen trips to the Gaza

1:52:40Strip since 1988

1:52:42and got to know the place and the people

1:52:45that defy the dehumanizing images

1:52:48conveyed by Israel and the mainstream US

1:52:51media.

1:52:52I have friends there who have lost

1:52:54absolutely everything, including their

1:52:57children.

1:52:59Over the last year, Israel has

1:53:01slaughtered 1 and 1/2 thousand Gaza

1:53:03residents, making a mockery of the term

1:53:07ceasefire, which is supposedly in place.

1:53:10And as we speak, it has again slammed

1:53:13the door shut on the delivery of

1:53:15humanitarian aid. Who on this council

1:53:18wants to be complicit in the

1:53:20obliteration of people and the trashing

1:53:23of international law? Divest now. Thank

1:53:27you.

1:53:28>> Thank you.

1:53:30Our next speaker is Harvey Cambridge.

1:53:36>> Okay.

1:53:39Good evening. I'm Harvey. I've been a

1:53:41Cambridge resident for over 18 years.

1:53:43Please vote no on the BDS policy orders.

1:53:46These orders state a modern-day blood

1:53:48libel as fact. They hand city decisions

1:53:51to an unelected activist group and ask

1:53:53Cambridge to illegally discriminate

1:53:55against anyone deemed complicit through

1:53:57extrajudicial accusations. Out of every

1:54:00country on Earth, they single out the

1:54:01home to nearly half the world's Jews. By

1:54:03effect, if not intent, they are

1:54:05fundamentally anti-Semitic. I grew up in

1:54:07the UK and Australia, and I've seen

1:54:09where incitement like this leads. It's

1:54:11Manchester on Yom Kippur and Bond at

1:54:14Hanukkah. It's Boulder, Washington,

1:54:16Michigan. False accusations of genocide

1:54:18and apartheid turns to violence, and

1:54:20Jews are murdered in cities like

1:54:21Cambridge as a result. For Jews, our

1:54:23connection to Israel is part of who we

1:54:25are.

1:54:27These orders tell Cambridge Jews we're

1:54:28not welcome only if we hide We're only

1:54:30welcome only if we hide or renounce our

1:54:32identity. I won't do this, and nobody in

1:54:34this city should. Vote no. Thank you.

1:54:37>> Our next speaker is Jude G, followed by

1:54:41Mary Akerson, then Dara Manoach.

1:54:44>> Hi everyone.

1:54:45I hate public speaking. My name is Jude

1:54:48Glaubman. I'm a Cambridge resident. Uh

1:54:50my father left Palestine in 1947 to come

1:54:54study in the US. For generations, his

1:54:56Jewish family lived in Palestine

1:54:59alongside people of many faiths and

1:55:01ethnic backgrounds within a

1:55:02predominantly Arab society before

1:55:05Zionism, a European political ideology,

1:55:08destroyed this coexistence. I urge you

1:55:11not to accept the false claim that being

1:55:13anti-Zionist is anti-Semitic, and that

1:55:16claim must not be used as an excuse to

1:55:19shirk our responsibility to do

1:55:21everything in our power to stop the

1:55:23ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing of

1:55:25the Palestinian people. I urge the

1:55:28council to act with courage and

1:55:29principle and divest from these

1:55:31destructive companies that are complicit

1:55:34in genocide, apartheid, and occupation.

1:55:37Cambridge must stand for the rule of law

1:55:39and international human rights. We stood

1:55:41for these principles in the past, and we

1:55:43must stand for them now. Thanks.

1:55:45>> Our next speaker is Mary Akerson,

1:55:48followed by Dara Manoik, then Alex K.

1:55:53Mary, 1 minute.

1:55:56>> My name is Mary Akerson. I live on

1:55:58Fayette Street, and I've lived in many

1:56:00Cambridge for 50 years.

1:56:03My husband, Steve Cohen, and I raised

1:56:04three children and now five

1:56:06grandchildren.

1:56:07I'm a proud Jewish American and speaking

1:56:09in strong opposition to policy order 195

1:56:13and 196. Passing these resolutions will

1:56:15do nothing to solve any conflict in the

1:56:17Middle East.

1:56:19BDS is not a peace movement.

1:56:23Its campaigns are not designed to

1:56:24advance mutual acceptance, coexistence,

1:56:27or reconciliation between Israelis and

1:56:29Palestinians. Its strategy is to isolate

1:56:32and delegitimize Israel through

1:56:33coordinated political, economic, and

1:56:35cultural pressure. Whatever the sincere

1:56:38humanitarian motivations of individual

1:56:40supporters,

1:56:41the broader campaign is not a

1:56:43constructive path towards peace.

1:56:48These policy orders give a platform to

1:56:50people who hate Israel. In Israel, live

1:56:53half of the world's Jews. These policies

1:56:55would demonize them and the rest of the

1:56:57diaspora.

1:56:59>> Our next speaker is Dara Manoach

1:57:01followed by

1:57:05Sorry, Alex K, then Tony Seger. Dara?

1:57:09>> Hi, I'm Dara Manoach. I've been a

1:57:11Cambridge resident for over 40 years and

1:57:15I'm here to speak out against policy

1:57:17orders 195 and 196.

1:57:20And when I told my daughter that I would

1:57:22be doing this, her response was, "Mom,

1:57:25please be safe."

1:57:27I think that speaks volumes. Since the

1:57:29program of October 7th, there's been a

1:57:32guard outside the entrance to my

1:57:34synagogue. And whenever I go to a Jewish

1:57:36event, one of the first things I do is

1:57:38visually locate the exits.

1:57:41Over the past 3 years, we've heard we've

1:57:43heard of numerous instances of anger

1:57:46against Israel being displaced in the

1:57:49forms of acts of violence against

1:57:51American Jews.

1:57:53Along with everything else that is

1:57:55morally repugnant and pragmatically

1:57:58wrong with these resolutions, I fear

1:58:00they will further divide our community

1:58:03and incite violence against Jews and

1:58:05Israelis. I don't want Cambridge to be

1:58:08the next news headline.

1:58:11>> Our next speaker is Alex K followed by

1:58:14Tony Seger, then Hillary F.

1:58:18Alex?

1:58:20>> Hello, my name's Alex Corey. I was born

1:58:23here in Cambridge and I live live here

1:58:25now in Inman Square.

1:58:28I'm Lebanese on my dad's side and I'm

1:58:30Jewish on my mom's side. And growing up

1:58:32here in the early 2000s, I used to

1:58:34wonder how high you would have to stack

1:58:38Arab bodies

1:58:39on my dad's side before they would count

1:58:42as much as the families and the people

1:58:44on my mom's side.

1:58:46In 2026, we've reached that number.

1:58:50We have residents from all walks of life

1:58:53here

1:58:54because we believe in human rights,

1:58:56because we are shocked by what is

1:58:58happening to the people of Palestine,

1:59:00because we oppose genocide, and we have

1:59:03a simple ask that we please stop

1:59:07participating in that genocide.

1:59:11The only question is, will you do the

1:59:12right thing? Will you do the moral

1:59:14thing? Will you take our city funds out

1:59:17of genocide?

1:59:19Thank you.

1:59:20>> Our next speaker is Tony Sager, followed

1:59:23by Brett Common, then Yuval M. Tony, 1

1:59:28minute.

1:59:29>> Yeah, my name is Tony Sager, and I've

1:59:30been a resident and voter in Cambridge

1:59:32since uh Walter Sullivan was mayor.

1:59:35Uh my grandchildren went to a preschool

1:59:38which had to have an armed guard at the

1:59:40entrance desk because it was a Jewish

1:59:42school.

1:59:43I go to services at a synagogue which

1:59:46had to replace its century-old wooden

1:59:48doors with metal security doors, and has

1:59:51to use a video camera before opening

1:59:53them.

1:59:54The rhetoric and presumptions in both

1:59:56these resolutions inflame emotions and

1:59:59fuel zealotry.

2:00:01This rhetoric will be taken as a

2:00:03justification, just as it has been

2:00:05elsewhere,

2:00:07for targeting Jewish people in schools,

2:00:09stores, on the streets here in

2:00:11Cambridge.

2:00:13Targeting them for stre- for threats,

2:00:15intimidation, harassment, and assaults,

2:00:19and God forbid, possibly worse.

2:00:22It can happen here.

2:00:24These resolutions are accelerants,

2:00:27and they're intended to be that.

2:00:29If you want to make Cambridge a city

2:00:30that's welcoming to anti-

2:00:32>> time has expired. Please email us the

2:00:34remainder of your comment.

2:00:36We are going to move on. Um Hillary F,

2:00:39we already heard from. Madam Clerk, we

2:00:40can go next to Brett Common, followed by

2:00:43Yuval M, then Joshua Friendel.

2:00:47Brett, you have 1 minute. Please go

2:00:49ahead.

2:00:52>> Hi. Can you hear me?

2:00:54>> We can. Please go ahead.

2:00:56>> My name is Brett. I'm a Jewish neighbor

2:00:58to many of you in Cambridgeport

2:01:00attending over Zoom and speaking in

2:01:01support of POs 7 and 8. If Cambridge

2:01:04continues to invest tens of millions of

2:01:07dollars into the industrial military

2:01:09complex, then we as taxpayers are

2:01:11complicit in this ongoing genocide and

2:01:14apartheid of Palestinians. But I also

2:01:16want to highlight how investing into

2:01:17Palantir and Elbit and GE isn't keeping

2:01:20Jews safe either. And I speak tonight

2:01:22thinking of Heidi Levine, the beloved

2:01:24aunt of one of my best friends who is

2:01:26also a Jewish journalist who was born

2:01:27and raised in Boston and has since

2:01:29raised a family in Jerusalem in for

2:01:31decades.

2:01:32This past Friday, while covering the

2:01:34Palestinian olive harvest, she was

2:01:36beaten by dozens of masked Israeli

2:01:37settlers who clubbed her, ripped off her

2:01:39press jacket, and kicked her until they

2:01:41fractured four of her vertebrae while

2:01:43she begged them to let her die. IDF

2:01:45soldiers stood by with no concerns

2:01:47holding weapons bankrolled by American

2:01:49funds. Not a single dime of Cambridge's

2:01:51money should go towards these weapons,

2:01:52this apartheid, or this hate.

2:01:55>> Our next speaker is Yuval M, followed by

2:01:58Joshua Freundel,

2:02:01then Mohammed Mohammed. Yuval, you have

2:02:03the floor. Please go ahead. 1 minute.

2:02:10>> Hello. My name is Yuval. Can you hear

2:02:12me?

2:02:14>> We can. Please go ahead.

2:02:16>> My name is Yuval. I live in Cambridge.

2:02:18I'm an American citizen. I'm a Cambridge

2:02:20resident for the past decade. But my

2:02:23children are American citizens and they

2:02:25attend public school in Cambridge. On

2:02:27the day my kid got an invitation to

2:02:29culture night at their school, I cried.

2:02:31I knew that we would probably just have

2:02:33to miss it because they if they would

2:02:35bring food that represents their Jewish

2:02:37or Israeli cultural background, they

2:02:40risk being targeted by their school

2:02:42staff or their school friends.

2:02:45I just heard my one of my colleagues

2:02:47say, "Cambridge is the worst city to

2:02:49raise children if you're Jewish."

2:02:50Cambridge loves to talk about diversity

2:02:52and inclusion, so please let my kids be

2:02:54included as well. Please vote no to

2:02:56adding more hate to our city. It's okay

2:02:59to have criticism to Israeli government.

2:03:01God knows I do. But, your vote won't

2:03:03make a difference there. It could make a

2:03:04difference here in Cambridge. Thank you.

2:03:08>> Our next speaker is Joshua Friedel,

2:03:10followed by Muhammad Muhammad, then

2:03:13Stewart Gedal.

2:03:15Joshua.

2:03:20Joshua has not joined us. We are going

2:03:22to move to speaker number 94, Muhammad

2:03:25Muhammad, followed by Stewart Gedal.

2:03:28Muhammad, you have the floor, 1 minute.

2:03:36Muhammad, you need to unmute yourself.

2:03:42>> Hello. Uh can you hear me?

2:03:44>> We can. Please go ahead.

2:03:47>> Good evening. My name is Muhammad. I

2:03:48live and work in the city of Cambridge.

2:03:50I'm here to urge you to support and

2:03:51divest city funds from companies

2:03:53complicit in the genocide, apartheid,

2:03:55and occupation of Palestinians. Our

2:03:57money is investment of our values.

2:03:59Cambridge already refuses to invest

2:04:00invest in fossil fuels and private

2:04:02prisons because we don't want public

2:04:04dollars financing harm. Uh the same

2:04:06principle applies here. Leading human

2:04:08rights organizations from Amnesty

2:04:09International to Israel's own B'Tselem

2:04:11have documented apartheid and grave

2:04:13abuses against Palestinians. And the

2:04:15companies that supply weapons,

2:04:16surveillance equipment using those

2:04:18abuses should not be profiting from

2:04:20Cambridge taxpayers. Our neighbors are

2:04:22already acting. Medford passed a human

2:04:23rights divestment ordinance. And

2:04:25Somerville voters approved divestment at

2:04:27the ballot box.

2:04:28Cambridge has always aimed to lead on

2:04:30human rights. Please let our investments

2:04:32reflect who we are. Hindsight is always

2:04:3420/20. Thank you.

2:04:36>> Our next speaker is Stewart Geddes,

2:04:38followed by C. Smith, then Sana S.

2:04:41Stewart,

2:04:43you have 1 minute. Please go ahead.

2:04:47>> I'm Stewart Geddes. I'm from North

2:04:49Cambridge.

2:04:51I oppose Please oppose policy orders

2:04:53that require the city

2:04:55to refuse to purchase from or be

2:04:57invested in Israeli business.

2:05:00Worry about the effects of repeatedly

2:05:03bringing BDS-related measures before

2:05:06this council.

2:05:08These recurring battles make members of

2:05:10our community feel singled out,

2:05:13inconsistent with the city's commitment

2:05:16to being inclusive.

2:05:19Base investment and purchasing decisions

2:05:21on municipal considerations,

2:05:24cost, quality, qualifications, and the

2:05:27law. Mass. General Law protects Mass.

2:05:30businesses from boycotts it was that are

2:05:34begun by international organizations.

2:05:38Governor's Executive Order 130 lists

2:05:41prohibited activities for boycotters.

2:05:45You shouldn't use purchasing and

2:05:47investing to conduct a political

2:05:49campaign

2:05:50>> Thank you, Mr. Geddes. That was your

2:05:51time. Please email us the remainder. Our

2:05:53next speaker is C. Smith, followed by

2:05:57Sana S., then Dan Eisner. C., you have

2:06:00the floor, 1 minute.

2:06:11C., if you can unmute yourself, you have

2:06:13the floor.

2:06:16>> Yep, here I am.

2:06:18My name is C. Smith.

2:06:20Can you hear me?

2:06:21My name is C. Smith.

2:06:22>> hear you.

2:06:22>> Thank you. I live in Cambridge and I'm

2:06:24descended from Jews who escaped the

2:06:25Holocaust, and that is why I'm speaking

2:06:27today against the genocide in Gaza and

2:06:28in support of divestment. Cambridge have

2:06:31of millions of dollars invested in

2:06:32weapons manufacturers and it should

2:06:33absolutely not be normal. These are

2:06:35corporations that make money, make

2:06:37profit off murdering people. They're

2:06:39purchased by the Israeli military or

2:06:41just given to them for free by our

2:06:42government to use them to murder people.

2:06:45Right now in Gaza, they they have the

2:06:47highest number of child amputees per

2:06:49capita in the world. Personally, I'm

2:06:51horrified that that's even a statistic

2:06:53that exists, that's something we have to

2:06:54keep track of. And the best argument

2:06:56that opponents of divestment can say is

2:06:58there have been instances of bullying

2:06:59and graffiti in Cambridge schools, that

2:07:01they feel unsafe abstractly. To put

2:07:04those issues for 1 second on the same

2:07:06level as bombing and starvation is

2:07:08unreal. It is shameless. Bullying can be

2:07:10dealt with and it's much easier to deal

2:07:12with than reattaching the limbs to

2:07:14children who have had their limbs blown

2:07:15off by the same companies that we invest

2:07:17our tax dollars in. This is a local

2:07:19issue. These are our tax

2:07:21>> Thank you, C. Please email us the

2:07:23remainder of your comment. For everyone

2:07:24whose time expires, again, email us at

2:07:28[email protected].

2:07:30We will go on to Sana S followed by Dan

2:07:33Eisner, then Daniel Engel. Sana, 1

2:07:36minute.

2:07:38>> My name is Sana. I am a Boston resident

2:07:40and organizer with Muslim Justice

2:07:42League. We work with the Muslim

2:07:44community in Cambridge to address

2:07:46surveillance and policing concerns. It

2:07:48is our belief that Cambridge City

2:07:50Council must vote to divest from Israeli

2:07:52apartheid. I am a Pakistani-American.

2:07:55Pakistan was decolonized from the UK in

2:07:581947.

2:07:59Unlike Pakistan, Palestine never

2:08:01received the decolonization it was

2:08:03promised by the British. Rather, it was

2:08:06passed from one colonizer to another and

2:08:08as a result faces apartheid and genocide

2:08:11today.

2:08:12You have the opportunity today to affirm

2:08:14Palestinians' right to life by moving

2:08:17taxpayer money away from companies

2:08:19profiting off of Palestinian death. If

2:08:22you do, history will be on your side.

2:08:27>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Dan

2:08:29Eisner, followed by Daniel Engel, then

2:08:32Sarah Binney. Dan?

2:08:34>> Um for those of us who support

2:08:36self-determination for the Jewish

2:08:37people, we must recognize that the

2:08:39Israeli government's treatment of the

2:08:41Palestinians has greatly undermined

2:08:43support for Israel. Pressure must be put

2:08:45on Israel to recognize the dignity and

2:08:48humanity of the Palestinian people and

2:08:50re-embrace the two-state solution.

2:08:52But these are not the goals of this

2:08:54policy order. BDS is part of a movement

2:08:57that wants to dismantle Israel. They

2:08:59have no interest in compromise or

2:09:01coexistence.

2:09:03At a pro-Hamas rally in front of this

2:09:05building on October 9th, 2023, I heard a

2:09:08speaker tell the cheering crowd, "This

2:09:11weekend, the Palestinian resistance

2:09:14taught a global lesson about what

2:09:16decolonizing land looks like."

2:09:19BDS has aligned itself with a movement

2:09:21that celebrates the slaughter and rape

2:09:24of over a thousand Jews. I implore you

2:09:26to reject this policy order.

2:09:29>> Our next speaker is Daniel Engel,

2:09:31followed by Sarah Binney, then Daniel

2:09:34Pinkus.

2:09:35Daniel Engel, you have the floor, 1

2:09:38minute.

2:09:39>> Thank you. Uh my name is Daniel Engel

2:09:41and I live in Somerville.

2:09:43I'm an American-Israeli with Moroccan,

2:09:45Yemenite, and Lithuanian heritage.

2:09:47Members of my family left each of those

2:09:49countries in the face of overwhelming

2:09:50anti-Semitism, and we're seeing the same

2:09:52rumblings here.

2:09:53I oppose policy order 7 and 8, and you

2:09:55should, too.

2:09:56I want to remind everyone again that

2:09:58everything that's happened in Gaza is

2:09:59directly a result of the worst mass

2:10:01murder of Jews since the Holocaust on

2:10:03October 7th, 2023.

2:10:05And by October 9th, anti-Bridgians were

2:10:07calling Israel's lack of a response a

2:10:09genocide and protesting the victims

2:10:11outside of City Hall. War is awful, but

2:10:14bills like this remove agency from those

2:10:16directly responsible for the deaths of

2:10:18real people on both sides of this war:

2:10:20Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and the Houthis,

2:10:23while making me feel less safe in

2:10:24Cambridge.

2:10:25I've been physically attacked and

2:10:27verbally assaulted for supporting Israel

2:10:28in Somerville, and I hide my star of

2:10:30David and my kippah.

2:10:32These policy proposals continue the same

2:10:34vile anti-Semitic threat in Cambridge.

2:10:36Any counselor supporting these policy

2:10:38orders should be ashamed of supporting

2:10:39terrorism against Jews and overriding

2:10:42the pension board's fiduciary duties.

2:10:44Oppose these policy orders and spend

2:10:45your time and resources continuing to

2:10:47make the city

2:10:49>> Our next speaker is Sarah Binney,

2:10:52followed by Daniel Pinkus, then Lexi P.

2:10:56Sarah, you have the floor. And for all

2:11:00of us, we are at speaker 100. Sarah,

2:11:03please go ahead.

2:11:05>> Um my name is Sarah. I'm a part of

2:11:08Cambridge's Jewish community. I'm a

2:11:09member of the Tree of Life Street Shul,

2:11:10which is right around the corner from

2:11:11City Hall, and I work as a Jewish

2:11:13non-profit professional, and I would

2:11:14like to voice my strong support for

2:11:16policy orders 7 and 8. Many of our

2:11:18elected officials have been using

2:11:20Cambridge's Jewish community as a cover

2:11:22for refusal to divest. To that, I say

2:11:24not in our name and not with our tax

2:11:26dollars. We refuse to be used as an

2:11:27excuse for continuing complacency with

2:11:30genocide.

2:11:31Divestment is

2:11:32one of the most tangible ways that we

2:11:34can do our part to prevent further

2:11:35slaughter slaughter.

2:11:37Um divestment is not anti-Semitic, and

2:11:40one day, as we'll have seen

2:11:42with efforts with the past efforts to

2:11:44divest from apartheid South Africa,

2:11:46history will shine favorably on those

2:11:48leaders who stand for liberation. Divest

2:11:50now. Thank you.

2:11:53>> Our next speaker is Daniel Pinkus,

2:11:55followed by

2:11:58Lexi P, then Marcus A.

2:12:01Daniel, you have the floor. If you can

2:12:03unmute yourself, 1 minute.

2:12:10>> Uh hello. Uh my name is Daniel Pinkus,

2:12:13and uh I'm a proud, yet fearful, Jewish

2:12:16resident of Cambridge. But unlike what

2:12:18others might have said tonight, my fear

2:12:20comes not from the supposed

2:12:22anti-Semitism of the anti-genocide

2:12:24movement in our city and country, but

2:12:26rather from the constant and eager

2:12:27conflation of my faith and my people

2:12:30with an ideology that has manifested

2:12:32itself into a genocidal apartheid regime

2:12:34as determined by the overwhelming

2:12:36majority of the international

2:12:37community's legal and genocide scholars.

2:12:40It pains and horrifies me that not only

2:12:42is such a vile regime conducting such

2:12:44atrocities, but that it is doing so with

2:12:46eager financial assistance from American

2:12:48communities like Cambridge, and any

2:12:50critique is slandered as bigotry in

2:12:52order to avoid the fundamental reality

2:12:54that Cambridge and American dollars are

2:12:56directly funding a genocide in the name

2:12:58of protecting me and my people.

2:13:01And we must divest from this genocide

2:13:02immediately in line with Jewish values

2:13:05that one must always distance oneself

2:13:06from sin and evil. Thank you.

2:13:10>> Our next speaker is Lexi P, followed by

2:13:13Marcus A, then Siobhan McDonough. Lexi,

2:13:161 minute.

2:13:17>> I am Lexi. I live in Cambridge, so you

2:13:20represent me.

2:13:21Uh Cambridge has $28 million invested in

2:13:24companies that serve Israel's genocide

2:13:25efforts. I don't want my tax dollars

2:13:28going to Israel. 59% of Americans

2:13:30support US recognition of a Palestinian

2:13:32state. Find out what that percentile

2:13:35would be for Cambridge before continuing

2:13:37to support Israel's genocide of

2:13:38Palestinians. And on a personal note,

2:13:40don't be complicit in genocide.

2:13:43As council members of Cambridge, your

2:13:44job is to uphold fair and moral

2:13:46standards in the services you provide.

2:13:48That is not possible to do unless you

2:13:50use your position to publicly

2:13:51acknowledge Israel's genocide of

2:13:53Palestinians, particularly in Gaza. I

2:13:56know what it's like to be trapped by an

2:13:58abuser for years who tells you, "No one

2:14:01is coming to save you. No one even knows

2:14:03or cares you're here. You will never be

2:14:05free." And to know that they're right.

2:14:09There is no one in Cambridge you are

2:14:10helping until you talk about this

2:14:12genocide and address it in your job. We

2:14:15all need help sometimes. Honor your

2:14:18constituents by helping those who are

2:14:19trapped.

2:14:20>> Lexi. That's your time. Please email us

2:14:22the remainder. Our next speaker is

2:14:24Marcus A, followed by Siobhan McDonough,

2:14:27then Hedaya Sharabati. Marcus, 1 minute.

2:14:31>> Councilors, my name is Marcus. I live in

2:14:34Central Square and I support policy

2:14:36orders 7 and 8. 5 years ago, the City

2:14:38Council unanimously voted to review city

2:14:41contracts for human rights abuses. It

2:14:43set zero standards. Today, the city

2:14:46contracts with Motorola Solutions, which

2:14:48the UN lists for supplying Israel's

2:14:50illegal settlements. The city's pension

2:14:52invests through Israel's genocide of the

2:14:54Palestinians through Palantir and

2:14:56Lockheed Martin, amongst other companies

2:14:58that deal in weapons.

2:15:00I am asking the council to move away

2:15:01from words and into action. These orders

2:15:04simply set that standard. Finish what

2:15:07you started. Pass these orders

2:15:09unamended. Thank you.

2:15:12>> Our next speaker is Siobhan McDonough,

2:15:14followed by Hedaya Sharabati, then

2:15:16Richard Maidment. Siobhan.

2:15:25>> Siobhan McDonough, I live on Ellery

2:15:27Street. I'm here as a Massachusetts UAW

2:15:29member

2:15:30urging the council to divest from

2:15:32genocide.

2:15:33Uh all the councilors here have said in

2:15:36one form or another that they support

2:15:37labor. Um and the labor movement

2:15:39understands that solidarity

2:15:42is important and they we have

2:15:44we place importance in treating everyone

2:15:45equally.

2:15:46Many of us fight our bosses for

2:15:49protections from harassment and

2:15:50discrimination. And that's why UAW

2:15:52divested from apartheid, occupation, and

2:15:54genocide. And why we stand with

2:15:56Palestinian trade unions in asking

2:15:59Cambridge to divest.

2:16:00Cambridge funds should not support

2:16:02Israel's two-tiered legal system that

2:16:04violently displaces Palestinians from

2:16:06their homes and their homeland.

2:16:08Please vote to divest our city from the

2:16:10perpetrators of genocide in Palestine.

2:16:12Thank you.

2:16:13>> Our next speaker is Hedaya Shar

2:16:16Sharbagi, followed by Richard Madebin,

2:16:19then Maryam Ahmad. Hedaya?

2:16:23>> My name is Hedaya. I'm Syrian. I lived

2:16:25in the US for 11 years.

2:16:28As a child,

2:16:30I lived in a war zone.

2:16:32I knew what it felt like to live under

2:16:34bombs, not knowing

2:16:37if my family and I will survive.

2:16:40Today in Cambridge,

2:16:42as I walk along Charles River's

2:16:44banks,

2:16:46I think about children in Gaza and

2:16:49families

2:16:52whose r-

2:16:53whose human rights are violated

2:16:56and how our money,

2:16:58our tax, contribute

2:17:01to their suffering.

2:17:04Today I'm here to say,

2:17:07it's

2:17:07it's the time to stop supporting

2:17:10genocide.

2:17:12If Cambridge divest, other cities will.

2:17:16Other states will.

2:17:19Naming the harm

2:17:20is how divestment works.

2:17:23And divestment is the only solution

2:17:26to stop

2:17:26>> Please email us the remainder of your

2:17:28comment. Our next speaker is Richard

2:17:31Madebin, followed by Maryam Ahmad, then

2:17:34Evan Haas.

2:17:36Richard?

2:17:41Richard has not joined us. We will go to

2:17:44Maryam Ahmad, followed by Evan Haas,

2:17:47then Raviv Rose.

2:17:49Maryam?

2:17:54>> My name is Maryam and I've lived and

2:17:55worked in Cambridge for 6 years and I

2:17:57plan to stay.

2:17:59I was in elementary school when 9/11

2:18:01happened and personally faced racism and

2:18:03Islamophobic attacks. But, I'm pretty

2:18:05sure in 2001, you would have still

2:18:06condemned the perpetrators of 9/11

2:18:08regardless, and would tell me that the

2:18:10perpetrators were not representative of

2:18:12me or my Muslim values.

2:18:14On October 15th, 2023, I was sitting at

2:18:17the Smith Center at Harvard taking a

2:18:18break when a stranger came up to me and

2:18:21asked me, "Did you murder your way into

2:18:23the university the way Hamas murdered

2:18:25their way into Israel?"

2:18:27They then told me if I ever went to a

2:18:29Palestine rally, I would be shot.

2:18:31Just because I'm brown.

2:18:33I know what it feels like to feel

2:18:34unsafe, and I don't want anyone to feel

2:18:36unsafe, but this is not about me. This

2:18:38is about the thousands of children being

2:18:40torn to shreds in Gaza.

2:18:43Genocide is not a question of being

2:18:44Jewish or Arab or Muslim. This is a

2:18:46question of your humanity.

2:18:48The orders on the agenda talk about

2:18:50specific companies whose existence

2:18:52depends on this genocide. Genocide

2:18:54represents no religion, and I urge you

2:18:56to take our money out of it.

2:18:57>> Our next speaker is Evan Haas, followed

2:19:00by Raviv Rose, then Talat Aman. Evan?

2:19:10Evan has not joined us. We will move on

2:19:12to Raviv Rose, followed by Talat Aman,

2:19:16then Emmy Linder.

2:19:21Raviv, if you can unmute yourself, you

2:19:23have the floor. 1 minute.

2:19:27>> My name is Raviv Rose, and I am a Jewish

2:19:31supporter of this resolution, and a

2:19:33member of Temple Beth Shalom in

2:19:35Cambridge. I've spent time on the ground

2:19:38in Israel and in Palestine, and I have

2:19:40seen firsthand the way that tools of war

2:19:43are weaponized against Palestinian

2:19:45people, and it breaks my heart to hear

2:19:48Jewish members of our community come

2:19:51here today to weaponize their identity

2:19:53to support

2:19:55their individual agendas and political

2:19:57convictions. I think that BDS is

2:20:01an important legal framework and ethical

2:20:05imperative and the driving values behind

2:20:09this I support as Jewish resident and I

2:20:14urge the city to pass this resolution

2:20:17without amendment.

2:20:19>> Our next speaker is Talat Aman followed

2:20:21by Emmy Linder then Marilyn

2:20:23Frankenstein.

2:20:25Talat, 1 minute, please.

2:20:27>> Good evening, Cambridge City Council and

2:20:29thank you for your time. My name is

2:20:31Talat Aman and I'm a second-year medical

2:20:32student at Harvard Medical School.

2:20:34In fact, it is partly because I am a

2:20:37medical student that I strongly support

2:20:39this divestment policy order. Like many,

2:20:41I came into this profession to protect

2:20:43human life. And so, over the past 3

2:20:46years, my classmates and I have often

2:20:48felt helpless.

2:20:49We have seen Israel kidnap and torture

2:20:51Palestinian doctors like Osama Abu

2:20:53Safiya, burn patients alive in

2:20:55hospitals, and make doesn't land

2:20:57uninhabitable for future generations.

2:21:00Medical students like myself with the

2:21:02dreams of healing others have been wiped

2:21:04out. But today, I do not feel helpless.

2:21:07Public opinion has changed and everyday

2:21:09people do not want their tax dollars to

2:21:11continue funding Israel's genocide in

2:21:13Gaza. Just as Cambridge divested from

2:21:15apartheid South Africa, my medical

2:21:17colleagues and I call on you to divest

2:21:20again. History will thank you. Free

2:21:22Palestine.

2:21:23>> Our next speaker is Emmy Linder followed

2:21:26by Marilyn Frankenstein then Maya

2:21:28Bickel.

2:21:29Emmy, please go ahead.

2:21:33>> My name is Emmy Linder. I'm an Israeli

2:21:35American and Cambridge has been my home

2:21:37for over 18 years. 3 years ago, after

2:21:3910/7, when my youngest daughter was 7

2:21:41years old, she was singled out by

2:21:43classmates because she was Israeli and

2:21:45Jewish. The hostility and exclusion

2:21:47became so serious that we had to move

2:21:49her to another classroom in the middle

2:21:50of first grade. An extreme measure,

2:21:52which was fully supported by her public

2:21:54school. She's still cautious about

2:21:56telling people where her family is from,

2:21:58even though she's proud of it. Last

2:22:00year, when my older daughter was 13, she

2:22:02was asked, "Is there anything else you

2:22:03think we should know about you?" Her

2:22:05response was, "My parents are Israeli,

2:22:07and I just think it's important to put

2:22:09that out there." Why do our children

2:22:10feel the need to explain or defend their

2:22:12identities?

2:22:14One daughter has learned to be cautious

2:22:15about revealing where her family is

2:22:16from, and the other feels the need to

2:22:18announce it. Why would Cambridge deepen

2:22:20these divisions by bringing the conflict

2:22:22into our municipal policies? In only 2

2:22:24days, 650 people signed a petition

2:22:27urging you to vote no. Please read their

2:22:28comments. You have their support. Please

2:22:30vote no. Thank you.

2:22:33>> Our next speaker is Marilyn

2:22:34Frankenstein, followed by Maya Bickel,

2:22:37then Kathy Roberts.

2:22:40Marilyn, please go ahead. 1 minute.

2:22:42>> 40-year Cambridge resident, Brooklyn

2:22:44Jew.

2:22:45In 2023, the ADL stated, "Being Jewish

2:22:49does not exempt an organization or a

2:22:51person from being anti-Semitic."

2:22:53But, being Jewish should exempt us from

2:22:56supporting the genocide Israel continues

2:22:59to rain down on the Palestinians.

2:23:01Remembering all the lies told about us

2:23:04when we were genocided by the Europeans

2:23:06should exempt us from swallowing the

2:23:09ADL's misleading anti-Semitism

2:23:11statistics. I'm proud that over 50% of

2:23:15the whites active in the civil rights

2:23:16movement were Jews, while we were only

2:23:183% of the country. I'm horrified that

2:23:21there is a single Jewish person who

2:23:23supports Israel's genociding the

2:23:25Palestinians. I'm horrified that any Jew

2:23:29would not do whatever we can do to end

2:23:32Israel's genociding the Palestinians.

2:23:35I'm urging my city council to do what

2:23:38you can do. Divest.

2:23:42>> Our next speaker, we are at speaker

2:23:44number 113, is Maya Bickel, followed by

2:23:47Kathy Roberts, then Nathan Sitaraman.

2:23:52Maya, 1 minute.

2:23:54>> Hi, I'm a co-founder of Minyan Zephyr,

2:23:56which is a Jewish community that serves

2:23:57over 100 Cambridge residents. I am

2:23:59dedicating these comments in honor of my

2:24:01friend Auda Hattaleh. 1 year ago, he was

2:24:03murdered by an Israeli settler in the

2:24:05presence of dozens of soldiers in the

2:24:07occupied West Bank. The settler has

2:24:09still not been held accountable. I met

2:24:11him 5 years ago when he was my age and

2:24:13already a leader in his community and in

2:24:15his region's resistance to the Israeli

2:24:17occupation and genocide. A major part of

2:24:19his and his community's survival

2:24:20strategy is to appeal to international

2:24:23solidarity activists like myself and

2:24:25implore us to share their story and help

2:24:27bring international pressure, one of the

2:24:29only mechanisms available to end the

2:24:31military occupation and apartheid

2:24:32policies

2:24:33that deny them water, housing, dignity,

2:24:36and the ability to live their lives in

2:24:37freedom and free from violence.

2:24:39I am here to amplify his voice and

2:24:41legacy and call on you to do what we can

2:24:43to stop our tax dollars from funding

2:24:45weapons companies that are complicit in

2:24:47a system that protects his murderer

2:24:48while demolishing his community's homes.

2:24:50These orders do not harm Jewish

2:24:52residents of Cambridge. They are

2:24:53important acts of solidarity.

2:24:56>> Thank you. Madam Clerk, we're going to

2:24:57go back to an earlier skipped um Richard

2:25:00Maidman, followed by Kathy Roberts, then

2:25:04we will go to Nathan Sitaraman. Richard,

2:25:07you have the floor. You have 1 minute.

2:25:09Please go ahead.

2:25:14Richard, you need to unmute yourself.

2:25:16There you go.

2:25:17>> My name is Richard Maidman. I live at 18

2:25:19Sterling Street in Somerville and I'm

2:25:20speaking on policy orders 2026, 195, and

2:25:24196.

2:25:25As groups in Somerville have pushed BDS

2:25:27over the last 2 years, I've watched the

2:25:29hostility towards Jews like me grow in

2:25:31ways I never expected. Let me tell you

2:25:34what that's looked like.

2:25:35In 2025, while Somerville for Palestine

2:25:37was promoting its ballot measure, my

2:25:39home was vandalized. Someone stuck a

2:25:41militant anti-Israel sticker on it. We

2:25:44have a sign at our house that says

2:25:45Boston stands against anti-Semitism.

2:25:48That was the response.

2:25:49Last year, a friend's child was told by

2:25:51a peer that they could not be friends

2:25:53because he was Jewish.

2:25:54In March 2025, BDS was up at City Hall

2:25:57here. After the meeting, a mob of masked

2:26:00people screamed at our kids as we walked

2:26:02out. Our children sobbed on the street

2:26:04behind City Hall for minutes. They never

2:26:06want to come back to City Hall and feel

2:26:07that hatred again.

2:26:09Let me tell you from experience, BDS

2:26:11will only bring more hatred and

2:26:12anti-Semitism to Cambridge. I

2:26:14respectfully ask you to reject BDS for

2:26:16the sake of your community. Thank you.

2:26:20>> Our next speaker is Kathy Roberts,

2:26:23followed by

2:26:24Nathan Sitaraman, then Andy Nash. Kathy,

2:26:271 minute, please go ahead.

2:26:29>> My name is Kathy Roberts. I live in West

2:26:32Cambridge on Huron Avenue. As an early

2:26:35childhood educator in Cambridge for over

2:26:3750 years, I will focus on children.

2:26:40According to the World Health

2:26:42Organization, Gaza now has the largest

2:26:44group of child amputees in modern

2:26:47history.

2:26:49Over 22,000 children have been killed

2:26:51and thousands more orphaned.

2:26:54The definition [clears throat]

2:26:55of genocide from the United States

2:26:58Holocaust Museum

2:27:00is, and I quote,

2:27:02"The intentional action to destroy on

2:27:05whole or part

2:27:08a national, ethnic, racial, or religious

2:27:10group."

2:27:12There are many other countries to invest

2:27:14in for good outcomes for teachers' pen-

2:27:17pensions. Divest now from the companies

2:27:20that produce the bombs and weapons to

2:27:22make genocide possible. Nelson Dan-

2:27:25Mandela came to Cam- to Boston first to

2:27:28honor the movement here in Cambridge to

2:27:30end

2:27:31>> Thank you, Kathy. Your time is expired.

2:27:33Please send us the rest. Our next

2:27:35speaker is Nathan Sitaraman, followed by

2:27:38Andy Nash, then Dylan Callaghan. We're

2:27:41at speaker 115.

2:27:45>> Hi, my name My name is Nathan Sitaraman.

2:27:48I live at 100 Memorial Drive here in

2:27:50Cambridge, and I also work here in

2:27:52Cambridge. I'm here to speak on policy

2:27:54order 7 in favor of divestment. When it

2:27:57comes to crimes as serious as apartheid

2:27:59and genocide with tens of millions of

2:28:00dollars in public money involved, we

2:28:02simply cannot afford to make exceptions

2:28:05based on race, religion, or nationality.

2:28:08If I asked you under what conditions

2:28:11would you support apartheid for the

2:28:13people of Cambridge, every single one of

2:28:15you would swear up and down that under

2:28:16no conditions would you vote for

2:28:18apartheid for the people of Cambridge.

2:28:21If it's not okay here, why make an

2:28:23exception for Israel?

2:28:25For every speaker at public comment

2:28:27today, 200 Palestinians are dead.

2:28:31For every speaker today, 20,000

2:28:33Palestinians are living in fear.

2:28:35Please, let us watch wash our hands of

2:28:38this sin and bloodshed.

2:28:40Thank you.

2:28:41>> Our next speaker is Andy Nash, followed

2:28:44by Dylan Callaghan, then Katie Wertz.

2:28:46Andy, please go ahead.

2:28:49>> Good evening, Andy Nash. I'm a Jewish

2:28:51Cambridge resident and voter since 1980.

2:28:54I'm also a coordinator of Cambridge

2:28:56Luce, the immigrant defense group that

2:28:59includes almost 400 Cambridge residents.

2:29:03We have signed onto the divestment

2:29:04support letter because the very

2:29:06companies that are enabling

2:29:08well-documented land theft, ethnic

2:29:10cleansing, and mass surveillance in

2:29:12Palestine are building the surveillance

2:29:15state that is being used to hunt down

2:29:17our immigrant neighbors right here.

2:29:21Arguments that we should not single out

2:29:23Israel are today's version of "What do

2:29:26you mean black lives matter? Don't all

2:29:28lives matter?"

2:29:29Yes, all lives matter. And human rights

2:29:33everywhere matter. But today we're

2:29:35focused on a genocide which without US

2:29:38complicity would not be possible.

2:29:41Whatever your personal view is, a

2:29:43growing number of Cambridge residents

2:29:45and workers, your constituents, want our

2:29:47money out now. Thank you.

2:29:50>> Our next speaker is Dylan Callahan,

2:29:53followed by Katie Wertz, then Aisha

2:29:55Hoda. Dylan?

2:29:57>> Hi, good evening. My name is Dylan. I'm

2:29:59from Somerville. I want to address three

2:30:02issues that you as counselors might

2:30:05reasonably give you pause about passing

2:30:07these orders which I wholeheartedly

2:30:08support. The first is that passing them

2:30:12will somehow increase division in

2:30:15Cambridge. I I I don't think this is

2:30:17true. Those who oppose or apologize for

2:30:20the genocide in Gaza will still exist

2:30:22exist now and will be here no matter how

2:30:25you vote tonight.

2:30:27That this is non-local.

2:30:29We are asking you not to dictate foreign

2:30:31policy but to steward our tax dollars

2:30:35our Cambridge tax dollars in a more

2:30:37ethical way and that is a very local

2:30:39issue. And finally that this is in some

2:30:41way illegal. And I am not a lawyer but I

2:30:44know that in America anyone can sue

2:30:46anyone for any reason.

2:30:48So that does not make the city more or

2:30:49less vulnerable to lawsuits. Thank you

2:30:52very much. Please pass these policy

2:30:53orders.

2:30:54>> Our next speaker is Katie Wertz followed

2:30:58by

2:31:01Aisha Hoda then Philip Krieger.

2:31:04Katie?

2:31:08Katie is not with us. We will move on to

2:31:10Aisha Hoda.

2:31:14Aisha 1 minute. Thank you.

2:31:17>> Thank you. Good evening. My name is

2:31:19Aisha Hoda. I'm a Cambridge resident and

2:31:21I'm in favor of policy order number

2:31:23seven.

2:31:24As someone who has been to Palestine

2:31:25multiple times and seen apartheid and

2:31:27oppression firsthand. And as someone who

2:31:29is an educator in Cambridge and mother

2:31:31of kids that attend Cambridge public

2:31:32schools, it hurts me to think that my

2:31:34tax dollars are responsible for

2:31:36murdering or taking away the parents of

2:31:38anyone's babies. I spoke right here when

2:31:40we were asking Cambridge to pass the

2:31:42ceasefire resolution, and the biggest

2:31:44pushback was, "Why is Cambridge voting

2:31:46on something international that has

2:31:47nothing to do with our city?" Well,

2:31:49here's your answer. We, our city, are

2:31:51contributing to this bloodshed, and so

2:31:52we have every moral responsibility to

2:31:54make sure our city's money doesn't

2:31:55contribute. I know the biggest fear is

2:31:57that by voting for this, there will be

2:31:58pushback that you are somehow supporting

2:32:00anti-Semitism. I implore you to consider

2:32:02that the more we conflate anti-Semitism

2:32:04with criticizing Israel's actions, the

2:32:06more dangerous it is for Jews. Violence

2:32:08fuels more pain and anger, which leads

2:32:09to more violence. By divesting from

2:32:11companies that profit from this

2:32:13destruction, we can choose

2:32:14accountability over complicity and take

2:32:15a vital step towards lasting peace for

2:32:18all people. Thank you. Thank you. We're

2:32:20going to go back to Katie Wertz. Katie,

2:32:23please go ahead. You have 1 minute. You

2:32:24have the floor.

2:32:26>> Okay. Thank you. Can you hear me?

2:32:28>> We can. Please go ahead.

2:32:29>> Okay. Again, my name is Katie Wertz. My

2:32:31husband currently works in Cambridge,

2:32:34and I work side by side with many Jewish

2:32:35people to advocate for the end of

2:32:37genocide of the genocide, and I

2:32:39encourage the city of Cambridge to vote

2:32:41yes to divest. The lives of others are

2:32:43not more important than our comfort.

2:32:45Everyone speaking here today is directly

2:32:47implicated in this genocide through our

2:32:49tax dollars.

2:32:50Last year, my husband had to find a new

2:32:52job and

2:32:54at an informational interview with a

2:32:55defense tech company in this area, he

2:32:58was asked, "Do you have any moral

2:32:59objections to working here?"

2:33:01The genocide on Palestinians in Gaza can

2:33:03only happen through the US's political

2:33:06complicity, corporate structures, and

2:33:08enormous aid. Since the start of the

2:33:10Israeli genocide of Gazans in 2023, the

2:33:13life expectancy has gone down by 35

2:33:15years. 90% of the water purification,

2:33:17desalination, and sewage treatment

2:33:19facilities are damaged or knocked out.

2:33:211.3 million people only have access to 6

2:33:24L of clean water per day. 90% of the 36

2:33:27hospitals are out of service due to

2:33:28structural damages.

2:33:30>> Thank you, Katie. Please send us the

2:33:32rest via email. Our next speaker is

2:33:35Philip Kreiger. We are at speaker number

2:33:38120. Philip Kreiger followed by Amani

2:33:42Durrani, then Liza Berant.

2:33:45Philip

2:33:46you have the floor. Please go ahead. 1

2:33:48minute.

2:33:51>> Good evening. My name is Phil Kreiger,

2:33:53and I've lived in Cambridge for 11

2:33:54years, and my wife and I are raising our

2:33:56two kids here.

2:33:57I'm pro-Palestinian, pro-Israel, and

2:33:59anti-BDS.

2:34:01These positions are not contradictory. I

2:34:03urge you to reject policy orders 195 and

2:34:06196. BDS is not a movement for justice

2:34:09or peace. It offers no solutions for

2:34:11peace, and even calls for boycotting

2:34:13initiatives that seek to bring Israelis

2:34:15and Palestinians together.

2:34:16BDS is a global campaign to delegitimize

2:34:19and ultimately eliminate Israel, the

2:34:21world's only Jewish state. These policy

2:34:23orders import a divisive international

2:34:25conflict into our city, deepening

2:34:27divisions here at home and running

2:34:28counter to Cambridge's long-standing

2:34:30values of welcoming people of different

2:34:32faiths and viewpoints. Our city has real

2:34:34challenges, and our residents deserve

2:34:36your attention. Let's focus on what we

2:34:38can actually change rather than divide

2:34:40our community over what we cannot. Thank

2:34:42you.

2:34:43>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Amani

2:34:46Durrani, followed by Liza Berant, then

2:34:49Jared Cohen.

2:34:51Amani?

2:34:54Amani has not joined us. We will move to

2:34:56Liza Berant

2:34:58followed by Jared Cohen, then Mila

2:35:01Hallgren.

2:35:03Liza, please. 1 minute.

2:35:08>> My name is Liza, and I'm a former board

2:35:10member of the Boston Workers Circle, one

2:35:13of the oldest Jewish institutions in

2:35:15Massachusetts. And we proudly endorse

2:35:18policy orders 7 and 8. We've long

2:35:22supported Palestinian rights, but this

2:35:24is our first time fully endorsing a

2:35:27local boycott and divestment campaign.

2:35:30Along with hundreds of non-Zionist

2:35:33Jewish organizations nationwide, BWC is

2:35:37rapidly growing. The Zionist

2:35:39organizations here today telling you to

2:35:41continue funding genocide cannot say the

2:35:44same. They are openly panicking about

2:35:47their sustainability given that young

2:35:50Jews and families are increasingly

2:35:52rejecting a Judaism based in fear.

2:35:55Councilor Nolan, as a member of Boston

2:35:59Workers Circle with me,

2:36:01I hope you make your Jewish community

2:36:04proud tonight

2:36:06by joining us in voting for a shared

2:36:09vision of justice for all.

2:36:10>> That's your time. As a reminder, per the

2:36:13mayor's earlier statement, please

2:36:15address your comments to the chair. Our

2:36:17next speaker is Jared Cohen, followed by

2:36:20Mila Holgren, then Karen Greenball.

2:36:26Mila?

2:36:36>> Huh.

2:36:38My name is Mila Holgren. I have lived in

2:36:40Cambridge for a decade and have a PhD

2:36:41from MIT. You must name and divest from

2:36:45Israel's genocide.

2:36:47Some have claimed that by divesting,

2:36:50um Cambridge is involving itself into,

2:36:52quote, complex international conflicts.

2:36:56But Cambridge is already participating

2:36:58in this conflict, but strictly on

2:37:00Israel's side. On top of our public

2:37:02investments, Cambridge companies build

2:37:04combat simulators and surveillance

2:37:07equipment for the Israeli military.

2:37:09Harvard and MIT research drone swarms

2:37:11and missile guidance paid for and

2:37:14supervised by the IDF.

2:37:16When I was a student at MIT, I watched

2:37:19Arab Muslim students bullied and

2:37:21harassed by the very administrators

2:37:23working with Israel's military to hurt

2:37:25their families and loved ones.

2:37:28Mayor Siddiqui, you said earlier we must

2:37:30work to make this space feel welcoming

2:37:33for everyone and I couldn't agree more.

2:37:36But how could anyone in Cambridge who

2:37:38has watched or been harmed by this

2:37:40genocide feel welcome in these chambers

2:37:42or this city as we continue to work with

2:37:45the Israeli military and invest in them?

2:37:48Thank you.

2:37:49>> Thank you. We're going to go back to

2:37:51Jared Cohen followed by Karen Greenbaum

2:37:55then Jake Waksbaum.

2:37:57Jared, you have the floor, please go

2:37:59ahead. You have 1 minute.

2:38:02>> Thank you.

2:38:03My name is Jared Cohen and I'm a

2:38:04Somerville resident, but I grew up in

2:38:06Cambridge and lived there for over 20

2:38:08years and have a dozen family members

2:38:10still living and working in Cambridge.

2:38:12I'm asking the council to oppose these

2:38:14policy orders because they do nothing to

2:38:16affect the tragic situation in Israel

2:38:18and Palestine but will only create

2:38:20administrative, financial, and legal

2:38:22problems for the city while further

2:38:24sewing division and distracting

2:38:26Cambridge from the real and urgent

2:38:27challenges of city governance and I

2:38:29think we're seeing that here tonight.

2:38:31These policy orders are divisive,

2:38:33discriminatory, counterproductive and

2:38:35I'm asking you to vote no.

2:38:40>> Our next speaker is Karen Greenbaum.

2:38:44Karen, if you're able to please raise

2:38:46your hand in the Zoom, there's a name

2:38:47but it's a different last name.

2:38:56Okay, then I don't see Karen Greenbaum.

2:38:58We're going to go to Jake Waksbaum

2:39:00followed by Lyndon Jenkins. Jake, you

2:39:03have the floor, please go ahead.

2:39:09>> Hi. Um my name is Jake. Um

2:39:11I'm a member of the Cambridge Jewish

2:39:13community and I'm speaking in support of

2:39:16divestment.

2:39:17Um

2:39:20I was involved in protective presence

2:39:21activism in the occupied West Bank where

2:39:24I saw firsthand

2:39:26how little recourse Palestinian

2:39:28communities facing settler violence

2:39:30have.

2:39:32They can't protect themselves or they'll

2:39:33be arrested or killed by the Israeli

2:39:37army or um

2:39:38police

2:39:40and that same army and police will not

2:39:42protect them from settlers.

2:39:44That's one reason why international

2:39:47pressure like this proposal is so

2:39:49important. It's one of the few ways we

2:39:51can constrain

2:39:53um the violent settlers.

2:39:56I also want to say that this is not

2:39:58it's not about Jews.

2:40:00Um it's about

2:40:02a violent program of ethnic cleansing

2:40:04and people resisting that program and

2:40:06it's that simple. It's not anti-Semitic.

2:40:09Thank you.

2:40:11>> Our next speaker is we're going to go

2:40:13back to Karen Greenbaum followed by

2:40:17Lyndon Jenkins. Karen, please go ahead.

2:40:20You have the floor. 1 minute.

2:40:28Karen, if you could unmute yourself.

2:40:39>> Hi, can you hear me?

2:40:40>> We can. Please go ahead.

2:40:42>> Okay, thanks. Hi, I'm Karen Greenbaum, a

2:40:45resident of Cambridge for 16 years

2:40:48and I'm opposed to policy order number

2:40:49seven.

2:40:50Uh it seems like there's some language

2:40:52in the policy order of not wanting to be

2:40:54involved with companies that create

2:40:55weaponry or surveillance. If that's the

2:40:57purpose of the policy, I'm not sure why

2:40:59the only Jewish country in the world is

2:41:01the one singled out here. If the goal is

2:41:03to boycott Israel, we're going to have a

2:41:05difficult time actually not

2:41:07utilizing any companies that are

2:41:09involved with Israel.

2:41:10We can debate the definitions of the

2:41:12actions of the Israeli government, which

2:41:14include

2:41:15using some of these companies for

2:41:16self-defense, considering that many

2:41:18Israelis and Jews both here and in

2:41:20Israel

2:41:21oppose many actions of the Israeli

2:41:23government. It seems like the primary

2:41:24effect of this order will be to alienate

2:41:26Israelis and Jews.

2:41:28Considering the rise of anti-Semitism in

2:41:30the world, I would hope that supporting

2:41:31the residents of Cambridge is a higher

2:41:33priority of our city council than

2:41:35complex international politics. Thank

2:41:37you.

2:41:38>> Thank you. We are going to move on to

2:41:40speaker number 127,

2:41:43Lyndon Jenkins.

2:41:45Lyndon, please go ahead. You have the

2:41:47floor. 1 minute.

2:41:48>> Yes, thank you. Um

2:41:50Mayor Siddiqui,

2:41:52um I'm have lived in Cambridge for 13

2:41:55years. I live in Cambridge Port right

2:41:56now. And in 2024, I spent 3 months

2:41:59volunteering with Sabeel, the

2:42:01Palestinian Liberation Theology Center

2:42:04in East Jerusalem, boarding with a

2:42:07Christian a Catholic Palestinian woman.

2:42:09There are many reasons why the BDS

2:42:13um

2:42:14policy order should be approved. Uh I'm

2:42:17very um actually I'm angry, I will say

2:42:20with respect, that we are here for a

2:42:23third time to try to accomplish this. Um

2:42:27and there as I say, there are many

2:42:29reasons why this should happen. I will

2:42:31email those to you, but I want to speak

2:42:33to one that I haven't heard mentioned

2:42:35this evening. And that is that these

2:42:37companies and others like them are among

2:42:40the primary polluters in the world. And

2:42:44it's a fiscally irresponsible to

2:42:46continue to invest in these companies

2:42:48because we are committing

2:42:50eco-suicide.

2:42:51>> That's your time. Please email us the

2:42:53rest. We are moving on to speaker number

2:42:55128, Aiden Schmamen, followed by Brian

2:43:00Burke, then Ilham Elarzi, Elazari,

2:43:03sorry. Aiden, you have the floor. Please

2:43:06go ahead. 1 minute.

2:43:12>> Uh hi.

2:43:13Uh my name is Aiden Schmamen.

2:43:15Uh I've lived in Cambridge for 18 years,

2:43:17and I'm against policy orders 195 and

2:43:1996.

2:43:21Um honestly, that these policy orders

2:43:23are even proposed is disheartening. It's

2:43:26bad for Cambridge.

2:43:27We feel everywhere in our political

2:43:28climate sense of divisiveness and the

2:43:30pain it brings. So, why are we bringing

2:43:32foreign affairs into Cambridge city

2:43:33politics? Don't we have better things to

2:43:35do?

2:43:36195 by its own admission impacts less

2:43:38than 1% of investments. So, this is just

2:43:40a statement to alienate many

2:43:42Cantabrigians.

2:43:43>> [snorts]

2:43:44>> But, 195 and 196 also hand over control

2:43:46of who does business with Cambridge with

2:43:48third-party organizations so that they

2:43:50can jack that number up to 20% or 50% at

2:43:52will.

2:43:54In 2023, uh for being visibly Jewish in

2:43:57Cambridge was not safe.

2:43:59Walking near Harvard or through MIT was

2:44:01unsafe.

2:44:02Now, we got from the city council is in

2:44:03202018, 2021, 2023 was more opining on

2:44:07international politics and aggravating

2:44:09tensions here.

2:44:11Send the message that Cambridge City

2:44:12Council handles local issues. Maybe

2:44:14handle Comcast problem.

2:44:17>> Please email us the rest. Our next

2:44:19speaker is Brian Burke, followed by

2:44:23Ilham Elazari, then Jonathan Heller.

2:44:26Brian, you have the floor. Please go

2:44:27ahead.

2:44:37Brian, if you can unmute yourself, you

2:44:39have the floor. There you go.

2:44:41>> Good evening, councilors. My name is

2:44:43Brian Burke.

2:44:44I'm an Irish Catholic living in Dayton,

2:44:46Ohio, speaking on behalf of my Jewish

2:44:48friends in Cambridge.

2:44:50I urge you to reject 195 and 196.

2:44:54Both orders hand city decisions to one

2:44:57outside advocacy group's list.

2:45:00Cambridge should not source its

2:45:01purchasing or its investments to any

2:45:03activist organization.

2:45:06196 would make taxpayers pay up to 10%

2:45:09more on contracts and require vendors to

2:45:11sign perjury statements.

2:45:13195 asked the trustees of our of your

2:45:16teachers, firefighters, and police

2:45:18officers pensions to put politics ahead

2:45:20of their duties to retirees.

2:45:23It names Israel bonds, debt issued by

2:45:26the country itself.

2:45:28So, this isn't about corporate conduct.

2:45:30In 2021, you adopted a neutral human

2:45:33rights standard that applies to every

2:45:35country equally. That was fair then and

2:45:37fair now. Jewish families in Cambridge,

2:45:40including my friends, hear these orders

2:45:42as saying they don't belong.

2:45:45>> Our next speaker is Ilham El-Azari,

2:45:48followed by Jonathan Heller, then Sophia

2:45:51L.

2:45:52Ilham, you have the floor.

2:45:54>> My name is Ilham El-Azari. I'm a

2:45:55Cambridge resident of 10 years, a

2:45:57graduate of Cambridge Public School, a

2:45:59former Cambridge Public School educator,

2:46:00and a mother. In 2024, I had the

2:46:03privilege of meeting Heba, a mother of

2:46:04three from Gaza, through an organization

2:46:06called Heal. Heba arrived with

2:46:088-month-old son who desperately needed

2:46:10emergency brain surgery. After her

2:46:12surgery and physical therapy, Heba and

2:46:14her baby returned to Egypt, where they

2:46:16waited for the borders to reopen so they

2:46:18could reunite with their family. A month

2:46:20ago, Heba finally returned to Gaza,

2:46:22knowing that she and her children could

2:46:23become another number on the death poll.

2:46:26But, Heba is not a number. She is a

2:46:28mother. Her children have names, dreams,

2:46:30and futures. And hers is one of

2:46:31countless stories. I refuse to remain

2:46:33silent while public funds contribute to

2:46:35the destruction of families like Heba.

2:46:37This council creates rules and expects

2:46:39residents to follow them. You establish

2:46:41standards of accountability for our

2:46:42schools, our streets, and our community.

2:46:44So, I ask you, who holds this council

2:46:46accountable? When is this investment

2:46:48contradicts the very values that expects

2:46:50to uphold. Cambridge prides itself on

2:46:52justice, education, and humanity. Those

2:46:54principles must extend to how we invest

2:46:57in public

2:46:57>> Thank you. Your time has expired. Our

2:47:00next speaker is Jonathan Heller,

2:47:01followed by Sophia L, then Jonathan

2:47:04Dovev.

2:47:06Jonathan Heller?

2:47:10Jonathan has not joined. We will go to

2:47:11Sophia L, followed by

2:47:15Jonathan Dovev, then Ragheda Boukhaled.

2:47:30>> My name is Sophia Labar, and I'm a

2:47:32Jewish resident of East Cambridge and a

2:47:34lifelong resident of the Boston area. It

2:47:37is not in spite of, but rather part and

2:47:39parcel with my Judaism that I

2:47:41enthusiastically support boycotting and

2:47:44divesting from companies that enable

2:47:46Israel's genocide of Palestinians.

2:47:49I was raised to understand that we must

2:47:50never again turn a blind eye to

2:47:52genocide. So, it horrifies me that the

2:47:55city I live in and love is subsidizing

2:47:58Israel's systematic campaign of

2:48:00occupation, ethnic cleansing, and

2:48:03genocide of the Palestinian people. And

2:48:05let me be very clear. It is not

2:48:08anti-Semitic to oppose Israel's

2:48:10genocide. Funding American weapons

2:48:13companies does not support Jews in

2:48:15Cambridge, nor keep us safe. Please take

2:48:18note of all the Jews who have spoken up

2:48:20in support of Palestine. We refuse to be

2:48:23the city's scapegoats for its support of

2:48:25Israel's genocide. I call on the

2:48:28Cambridge City Council to vote yes on

2:48:30policy orders 7 and 8.

2:48:32>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Jonathan

2:48:33Dovev, followed by Ragheda Boukhaled,

2:48:36then Nate S.

2:48:39Jonathan?

2:48:45>> Jonathan has not

2:48:49Excuse me, 1 second.

2:48:52Jonathan, if you are on the iPhone

2:48:56Yes, we can hear you. We can hear you.

2:48:57Please go ahead.

2:48:58>> Uh I am a Jewish resident in Somerville.

2:49:02Um thank you for your time. BDS does not

2:49:04promote peace. In fact, it turns the

2:49:06opening statement that Cambridge is a

2:49:08welcoming community that does not

2:49:10support discrimination or violence

2:49:12anywhere in the world on its head. There

2:49:15are double standards here. Russia

2:49:16invaded Ukraine, China suppresses

2:49:19minorities, Iran persecutes dissidents,

2:49:22yet only Israel is mentioned, in fact,

2:49:2414 times.

2:49:26The order seeks to isolate Israel, the

2:49:28homeland of half the world's remaining

2:49:30Jews. Worldwide, we see attacks on

2:49:33Jewish communities and hostility towards

2:49:35Israel. We have experienced it here in

2:49:37Somerville.

2:49:39This ordinance will embolden

2:49:40anti-Semitism and deepen divisions in

2:49:42Cambridge, whether promoted by non-Jews

2:49:45or by Jews who vote Jewish holidays to

2:49:47oppose Israel. Both single out Israelis

2:49:50and Jews who see Israel and Zionism as

2:49:53integral to their identity, making them

2:49:55targets of hatred. I urge you to reject

2:49:58these policies. Thank you very much for

2:50:00your time.

2:50:04>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Ragheda

2:50:06Bou Khalid.

2:50:11I do not see Ragheda on the Zoom. We

2:50:15will go to Keegan James, followed by

2:50:18Kayla Goodale, then Nick C.

2:50:21Keegan, number 135, please go ahead.

2:50:24>> Hi there. My name is Keegan. I've lived

2:50:26near Harvard Square for 3 years. I've

2:50:28spent most of my um career working in

2:50:31Cambridge.

2:50:32Um I am also a public servant working at

2:50:35local government. Um and I want to

2:50:37reiterate that this is a local issue.

2:50:39Um, I wake up every morning to different

2:50:42news, pictures, and videos of

2:50:44Palestinians being victims of occupation

2:50:46and genocide

2:50:47by Israel and the military-industrial

2:50:49complex

2:50:50that props the Zionist entity up.

2:50:53I have seen the occupation's brutal

2:50:55infrastructure in the West Bank with my

2:50:57own two eyes.

2:50:58Um, as a public servant that is set to

2:51:00benefit from these OPEB funds, my my

2:51:04future financial well-being is directly

2:51:07tied to war profiteering

2:51:09and weapons being used by the genocidal

2:51:11Israeli government.

2:51:12This does not have to be the case.

2:51:15I implore the City Council to act and

2:51:16divest from weapons companies that prop

2:51:18up Israel and their genocide of the

2:51:19Palestinian people. My retirement must

2:51:22not be tied to genocide. My humanity and

2:51:24your humanity is at stake.

2:51:28>> Thank you. We're going to call Nate S

2:51:32followed by Kayla Goodale, then Nick C.

2:51:35Nate, please go ahead. You have the

2:51:37floor.

2:51:38>> Hi, my name is Nate. I'm a Cambridge

2:51:40resident and one of the many Jews who

2:51:42are here tonight to speak in favor of

2:51:44the two motions under consideration. The

2:51:46conflation of support for Palestine with

2:51:48anti-Semitism that we have heard from

2:51:50opponents of the resolutions is a

2:51:52central and shameful tactic of Israel

2:51:54and its supporters. It misrepresents the

2:51:56principal struggle of the Palestinian

2:51:58people for liberation and cheapens real

2:52:00incidents of anti-Semitism when they

2:52:02occur.

2:52:03I want to remind the chair of the

2:52:05racism, separatism, and dehumanization

2:52:07that is baked into daily life in the

2:52:09state of Israel. For decades, Israel has

2:52:11killed, maimed, dispossessed,

2:52:13fragmented, and humiliated Palestinians

2:52:16in the name of Jewish safety. You have

2:52:18heard from countless members of your

2:52:19community tonight who want to ensure

2:52:21that no one is subjected to hatred and

2:52:23harm from Cambridge to Palestine.

2:52:26Boycott and divestment are effective

2:52:27tools, and I would add the bare minimum

2:52:30that we can use here in Cambridge to

2:52:31withdraw our tax dollars from genocide

2:52:33and colonial dispossession in Palestine

2:52:36just as this council divested from

2:52:37apartheid rule in South Africa. Thank

2:52:39you.

2:52:40>> Our next speaker is Kayla Goodale

2:52:42followed by Nick C then Sarah Bayer.

2:52:46Kayla?

2:52:471 minute.

2:52:48>> Hello, thank you. Um hi everyone. My

2:52:51name is Kayla. Um I'm a Cambridge

2:52:52resident over in Inman and uh regular at

2:52:56public comments so it's nice to see

2:52:57y'all.

2:52:58Um I'm here to speak in favor of policy

2:53:01order three and six through 12 because

2:53:04there is a lot on the agenda tonight. Um

2:53:06but specifically about seven and eight

2:53:10um and actually 11.

2:53:11Um and so seven and eight I want to talk

2:53:13about um the fact that you've heard over

2:53:16and over again tonight which is that

2:53:18this city has the opportunity to divest

2:53:21from genocide this evening or more

2:53:24likely tomorrow morning.

2:53:26This city has a long history of standing

2:53:29up against apartheid and I hope that

2:53:31continues tonight. And I

2:53:35like implore the city council to follow

2:53:37through on that.

2:53:39Also

2:53:40uh the MWRA should reconsider ripping up

2:53:42Magazine Beach. Um there are other ways

2:53:45that we can explore in order to save

2:53:47that park. Um it's my favorite place in

2:53:50the city and I would like to see it

2:53:51saved.

2:53:51>> Your time has expired. Our next speaker

2:53:54is Nick C followed by Sarah Bayer then

2:53:57Maya G.

2:53:59Nick, you have the floor. Please go

2:54:00ahead.

2:54:02>> Hello. Um my name is Nick. Um I live in

2:54:05East Cambridge and I'm a proud

2:54:08Jewish Cambridge educator

2:54:10and I'm speaking out in favor of policy

2:54:12order seven and eight.

2:54:14One of the hardest units I teach

2:54:17um

2:54:17is my unit on the rise of fascism and

2:54:20the Holocaust.

2:54:22And one of the main themes that we focus

2:54:24on in the classroom is on

2:54:25dehumanization.

2:54:27And the kind of actions or lack of

2:54:29actions that many everyday people took

2:54:33in the face of unrelenting horror

2:54:36that Jewish people faced, which is why I

2:54:38am so

2:54:40terrified and upset by a country that

2:54:44supposedly represents me that uses

2:54:46dehumanizing language.

2:54:48And I really feel it's of vital

2:54:51importance for us

2:54:53to really take a stand against this,

2:54:55which is why I'm speaking in favor of um

2:54:58both policy policy orders seven and

2:55:01eight. Thank you very much for your

2:55:02time.

2:55:02>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Sarah

2:55:04Bear, followed by Maya G, then Carolyn

2:55:07Magid. We're at speaker number 138.

2:55:10Sarah.

2:55:15Sarah, please go ahead. You have the

2:55:17floor.

2:55:20>> Hello, can you hear me?

2:55:22>> We can.

2:55:23>> Okay, my name is Sarah Bear. Um and I

2:55:26live in Cambridgeport. [clears throat]

2:55:27I've been a resident of Cambridge for 36

2:55:30years.

2:55:31And I'm here in strong support of policy

2:55:34orders seven and eight.

2:55:36>> [clears throat]

2:55:36>> I commend Cambridge for Palestine for

2:55:38researching, investigating, and creating

2:55:40this valuable report and policy orders

2:55:43that offers the city of Cambridge a way

2:55:45to take a stand against the horrific

2:55:47genocide and ongoing apartheid of the

2:55:48Palestinian people.

2:55:50As a taxpayer, I'm sickened that my tax

2:55:53dollars are funding these atrocities to

2:55:55continue.

2:55:56If these horrors don't propel the city

2:55:58to take action, what will?

2:56:00How have we allowed ourselves to let

2:56:02investments such as these provide the

2:56:03foundation to a genocidal apartheid

2:56:06state? Over and over, the numbers killed

2:56:09are counted and reported, counted and

2:56:10reported. The numbers are clear.

2:56:13Lockheed Martin, Palantir, Geo

2:56:15Aerospace, Elbit Systems, Axon,

2:56:17Motorola, these are real companies that

2:56:19create real killing machines that have

2:56:22wiped out entire family.

2:56:24>> Please email us the remainder. Our next

2:56:26speaker is Maya G followed by Carolyn

2:56:29Majcher then Kathy Watkins. Maya?

2:56:34>> My name is Maya and I'm an organizer

2:56:36with Minyan Tza'it, a Jewish community

2:56:38in Cambridge that endorses these policy

2:56:40measures.

2:56:42I was also born in Israel and my family

2:56:44lives there including my 96-year-old

2:56:46grandmother who is a Holocaust survivor.

2:56:49Across the green line in the West Bank,

2:56:51I have other loved ones, Palestinian

2:56:53friends who face the violent unmitigated

2:56:56reality of Israeli occupation every day.

2:56:59My friend Shug, a mother of four my age,

2:57:01watches her neighbor's houses be

2:57:02demolished by caterpillar equipment. One

2:57:05of the complicit corporations supported

2:57:07by our taxpayer dollars.

2:57:09Specifically naming Israel is not

2:57:10anti-Semitic. It's the only way I know

2:57:13how to help my loved ones across that

2:57:15land.

2:57:16By divesting from and boycotting

2:57:18Israel's genocide, apartheid, and the

2:57:20occupation of Palestine, we would be

2:57:22taking a critical, time-tested step

2:57:24towards shared safety and justice for

2:57:26all. Thank you.

2:57:29>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Carolyn

2:57:31Majcher followed by Kathy Watkins then

2:57:33Tali Dotan Shoham. Carolyn, you have the

2:57:37floor. Please go ahead. You have 1

2:57:39minute.

2:57:43>> Can you hear me?

2:57:45>> We can. Please We can hear you. Please

2:57:47go ahead.

2:57:49>> I'm Carolyn Majcher, 71 Reed Street.

2:57:52What can you hear in a sea of comments?

2:57:54I hope this.

2:57:56This should be very simple. Israel has

2:57:58killed more than 22,000 Palestinian

2:58:00children since October 2023.

2:58:03If you believe in human rights as I do,

2:58:06you know there can be no excuse for

2:58:07that.

2:58:08This genocide of children and everyone

2:58:10else is a blot on humanity unlike

2:58:12anything else I've seen in my long

2:58:15lifetime.

2:58:16The tide in the US is turning. The

2:58:18majority of people want the US to stop

2:58:20supporting the genocide.

2:58:22We have has the chance to oppose the

2:58:24genocide in a way that matters by

2:58:27joining the divestment movement.

2:58:30We urge you to step up and be on the

2:58:32right side of history.

2:58:34One day everyone will have always been

2:58:35against this.

2:58:37Thanks.

2:58:39>> Our next speaker is Kathy Watkins

2:58:42followed by Tali Dotan Shoham, then

2:58:45James C.

2:58:51Kathy is not on. We will go to Tali

2:58:54Dotan Shoham followed by James C, then

2:58:58Saranya Lazar.

2:59:00Tali, you have the floor. Please go

2:59:02ahead.

2:59:09>> Hello, can you hear me?

2:59:11>> We can hear We can hear you. Please go

2:59:13ahead.

2:59:14>> Okay, thank you. So, good evening. My

2:59:15name is Tali Dotan.

2:59:17Uh I've been a Cambridge resident for

2:59:19over 3 years now and I'm also an Israeli

2:59:22citizen. I urge you all to reject policy

2:59:25orders 9195 and 196.

2:59:28Regardless of your individual opinions

2:59:30on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I

2:59:33speak here today

2:59:35um

2:59:35to talk about the cost of bringing these

2:59:37issues into our city.

2:59:40I'm a scientist who came here for my

2:59:42academic pursuit uh because Cambridge is

2:59:45an academic leader. My two children

2:59:48attend the Cambridge public school and

2:59:49we are all proud to be part of the

2:59:51Cambridge community. These targeted and

2:59:53selective orders single us out as Jewish

2:59:56people as well as Israelis without an

2:59:59actual gain. Please focus on bringing

3:00:02our community together, not dividing it,

3:00:04and reject these policy orders. Thank

3:00:07you.

3:00:09>> Thank you. Our next speaker is James C.

3:00:19I don't see James in the Zoom. Our next

3:00:21speaker is

3:00:23Saranya Lazar.

3:00:28You have 1 minute.

3:00:31Hi, I'm Sarah. I live in Cambridge. I

3:00:33grew up here, raised my child here, and

3:00:36have taught in Cambridge public schools

3:00:38for more than 20 years.

3:00:40If an active shooter situation happened

3:00:42in my school, I would do anything to

3:00:45protect the children in my care.

3:00:47An active shooter situation has been

3:00:50taking place in Gaza for more than 3

3:00:52years, and the world has turned its

3:00:54back.

3:00:56My guiding light as an educator is

3:00:58reflected in the quote by James Baldwin.

3:01:01The children are always ours, every

3:01:03single one of them, all over the globe.

3:01:05The murdered children and families in

3:01:08Palestine haunt me.

3:01:10Knowing that my pension funds are

3:01:12invested in entities that profit from

3:01:14occupation, apartheid, and genocide

3:01:17haunts me.

3:01:18It may feel like a political risk to

3:01:21vote yes, but I implore you to vote

3:01:24tonight not as a politician. Vote as if

3:01:27your children were in Palestine, because

3:01:30they are.

3:01:33Thank you. Our next speaker is Elchanan

3:01:36Mossel, followed by Jojo Calvillo and

3:01:39Elizabeth Baldwin.

3:01:44>> Hi, can you hear me?

3:01:46>> Yes, go ahead.

3:01:48>> My name is El, I'm a resident of

3:01:49Cambridge for more than 10 years. Both

3:01:51of my children were born here,

3:01:53and I'm speaking against the order.

3:01:56As As you heard from other this order,

3:01:58singles out Israelis and the Jews, and I

3:02:00think in Cambridge it would require

3:02:02courage to

3:02:04uh It's against against Elon Musk, who

3:02:07dismantled US aid and divest from

3:02:09companies such as Twitter or Tesla. It

3:02:11would require courage to divest from

3:02:13Russia. Singling out

3:02:16It's a cowardly act to single out the

3:02:18Jews and the Israelis.

3:02:19And while I find many of the policies of

3:02:22the Israeli government is very

3:02:23objectionable, I think this suggested

3:02:26policy would just increase the division

3:02:28in the city. Thank you.

3:02:32>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Jojo

3:02:34Calvillo.

3:02:42>> Oops.

3:02:43Hello, my name is Jojo. I live in

3:02:45Somerville. I previously worked at a

3:02:47Cambridge homeless shelter.

3:02:49And I currently work for the second

3:02:51Middlesex state senator-elect. I support

3:02:53these proposed boycott and divestment

3:02:55orders. My partner is Palestinian. Her

3:02:58family was displaced from Jerusalem in

3:03:001948 by Israeli militia and lived in

3:03:03exile since. Being prohibited to return

3:03:05to the state of Israel. Other family she

3:03:08has were displaced to Gaza where some

3:03:10were killed during this genocide and

3:03:12others are still surviving. The rest of

3:03:14her family remains in West Bank where

3:03:16they live in a legal occupation among

3:03:18Israeli settlers who are burning

3:03:20Palestinian homes and attacking

3:03:22Palestinians.

3:03:23Ultimately, Cambridge boycotted and

3:03:25divested from apartheid in South Africa

3:03:28in the 1980s and now has the opportunity

3:03:30to do this again.

3:03:32I ask you that ensure that you ensure

3:03:34these orders name Israel's genocide of

3:03:35Palestinians and ensure the American

3:03:37Friends Service Committee list which

3:03:39identifies the most complicit

3:03:40multinational companies that sustain

3:03:42Israel's apartheid genocide and illegal

3:03:44occupation of Palestine. Thank you for

3:03:46your time. Free Palestine.

3:03:49>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Elizabeth

3:03:51Baldwin followed by Zachary Sardy Santos

3:03:54and Mary Saba.

3:03:56>> I'm I'm Elizabeth Baldwin live on Mass

3:03:58Ave on policy order seven. I've been a

3:04:01Cambridge resident since 2008. I've been

3:04:04a Cambridge active community member

3:04:06sitting on non-profit boards, worked on

3:04:08city issues including bike safety and

3:04:10affordable housing. Today I urge the

3:04:12city council to divest from these

3:04:14Israeli weapons manufacturers.

3:04:16I don't want my tax dollars funding

3:04:18genocide.

3:04:19Naming Israel and calling it a genocide

3:04:21is crucial. I believe this will be

3:04:23remembered

3:04:24in the same way that the Holocaust is

3:04:26remembered. We will all be judged by

3:04:28what we did during the world's first

3:04:30live stream genocide. You all here have

3:04:33a very special opportunity to help our

3:04:35famous city take a stand against this

3:04:37genocide. This is the greatest

3:04:39humanitarian crime happening in the

3:04:41world right now.

3:04:43And it is directly funded by our US tax

3:04:45dollars. We must do our part as a city

3:04:47and divest. Thank you.

3:04:51>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Zachary

3:04:53Sardy-Santos.

3:04:57>> Good evening.

3:04:59Hello. Can you hear me?

3:05:01My name is Zachary Sardy-Santos. I'm a

3:05:03Harvard College alumni and teacher and

3:05:05I'm speaking today to expose the hateful

3:05:07and ignorant goals of policy order

3:05:09number 7. It's extremely shameful that a

3:05:11BDS resolution is even being considered

3:05:13in the city, especially considering that

3:05:15terrorist and jihadist groups like Hamas

3:05:18and Palestinian Islamic Jihad socially

3:05:20and financially support such a hateful

3:05:22cause. It's also absurd that members of

3:05:25the city council brandish MeToo or BLM

3:05:27hashtags but are completely silent when

3:05:30innocent Israeli women are raped and

3:05:31slaughtered and Gazans forced

3:05:33Afro-Palestinians into ghettos called

3:05:35Harat al-Abeed, literally translating to

3:05:38slave quarters.

3:05:40Let me be clear. There is no

3:05:42intersectionality here. These BDS

3:05:44terrorists, they don't care about civil

3:05:45rights. They want total divestment from

3:05:47the Jewish homeland. They want the Iron

3:05:49Dome that saves Jewish, Muslim,

3:05:50Christian and my life destroyed. They

3:05:53want to see the Jewish homeland burn and

3:05:55they want to kill Jews. And that's all

3:05:57they are and will ever be. Thank you

3:05:59very much. I'm Israel hi.

3:06:04>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Mary Saba

3:06:07followed by Robin Goldstein.

3:06:15I don't see Mary in the zoom. Our next

3:06:17speaker is Robin Goldstein followed by

3:06:20Katie Conley and S. Cambridge.

3:06:29Mary is also not in the zoom. Our next

3:06:32speaker is Robin Goldstein.

3:06:40Robin is also not in the zoom. Our next

3:06:42speaker is Katie Conley followed by S.

3:06:45Cambridge.

3:06:53>> Hi, my name is Katie and I am deeply

3:06:56connected to Cambridge through the work

3:06:58I've done the past 8 years and as a

3:07:00patron of many local businesses.

3:07:02As a community member here in Cambridge

3:07:04and a resident of neighboring

3:07:06Somerville,

3:07:07I am deeply disturbed that our city

3:07:09dollars are being used to fund Israel's

3:07:11ongoing genocide of the Palestinian

3:07:13people.

3:07:16We profess to have progressive values

3:07:18here in Cambridge, but we refuse to

3:07:20stand up and take bold action when it

3:07:22matters the most. The accelerated

3:07:24genocide of Palestinians 3 years which

3:07:27has origins that began 78 years ago will

3:07:30go down in history

3:07:32as one of the greatest atrocities of our

3:07:34time.

3:07:35When we look back, we will wonder why no

3:07:36one did anything to stop it before more

3:07:38than 74,000 Palestinians were mass

3:07:40murdered, over 90% of schools and

3:07:43cultural sites in Gaza were destroyed

3:07:45before an entire population was left

3:07:47homeless in their own land.

3:07:49We cannot Um, the very least we can do

3:07:51is stop funding this ongoing genocide so

3:07:53that it cannot continue any longer.

3:07:54That's why I support divesting Cambridge

3:07:57pension funds.

3:07:58>> Thank you, Katie. Your time has expired.

3:08:00Please email the remainder of your

3:08:01comments. Our next speaker is S.

3:08:04Cambridge, followed by Eric Huntley.

3:08:12S. Cambridge is not in the Zoom. Our

3:08:14next speaker is Eric Huntley.

3:08:17Oh. I'm sorry. It Someone raised their

3:08:20hand.

3:08:22We will go to S. Cambridge.

3:08:30You're

3:08:31You're unmuted. Go ahead.

3:08:33>> Uh, my name is Sam. I'm a proud, uh,

3:08:36resident of Cambridge. Let us work

3:08:38towards peaceful solutions that affirm

3:08:39the rights of both Palestinians and

3:08:41Israelis, Muslims and Jews. And this is

3:08:43why I ask you to vote no on orders 195

3:08:46and 196. These proposals will divide

3:08:48Cambridge and imperil Jewish

3:08:49Cantabrigians while doing nothing to

3:08:51advance the issues they purport to

3:08:52address. These proposals ostracize one

3:08:55people. They target one ethnicity and

3:08:57they further endanger an already

3:08:58vulnerable religious minority. It is not

3:09:01the job of local government to

3:09:02prioritize foreign policy, but it is

3:09:04antithetical to the job of local

3:09:06government to pass any proposal that

3:09:08places certain demographics at great

3:09:09risk of discrimination and physical

3:09:11harm. I am acutely aware of the location

3:09:14of each exit at my synagogue. I do not

3:09:16wish to feel this way on the streets of

3:09:17my hometown. Thank you.

3:09:21>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Eric

3:09:23Huntley, followed by Joshua Deitch.

3:09:27>> [snorts]

3:09:30>> You just have to

3:09:32Just press the button. Press the button.

3:09:35>> Uh, my name is Eric Hopsky-Huntley. I

3:09:37live on Summer Street in Somerville,

3:09:38teach at MIT, and help organize Minyan

3:09:40Tza'it, an anti-Zionist Jewish community

3:09:42with about 250 members. As a proud

3:09:45American Jew, I'm here to speak in

3:09:46support of policy orders number seven

3:09:48and eight. My seven-month-old, whose

3:09:50child care is in Cambridge, couldn't

3:09:52share his testimony tonight. But, as a

3:09:54new parent, I worry on his behalf about

3:09:56what world he'll inherit. Will that be a

3:09:58world in which the Israeli genocide of

3:10:00the Palestinian people was livestreamed

3:10:01for years and our institutions did less

3:10:03than nothing in the name of my kid's

3:10:05Jewish safety,

3:10:07or will it be a world in which our

3:10:08institutions find a moral voice and

3:10:10ensure that our tax dollars are not

3:10:11abetting genocide by an occupying force

3:10:14flying the Star of David? Which makes my

3:10:16child safer?

3:10:17It's true that this ordinance won't

3:10:19bring peace, but it creates

3:10:20consequences. The Israeli filmmaker

3:10:22Abigail Sperber wrote a piece for the

3:10:23Israeli daily Haaretz titled, "Thank You

3:10:25for Boycotting Me." Contrary to what

3:10:27some have argued tonight, she argues

3:10:29that the only path to a durable peace

3:10:30goes right through boycott. And, I would

3:10:32add, the only path to a durable Jewish

3:10:34safety is through Palestinian

3:10:36liberation.

3:10:37>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Joshua

3:10:40Deitch, followed by D. Ahi and A. Co.

3:10:49Joshua, you're unmuted. Please go ahead.

3:10:51>> My name is Joshua Deitch and I live in

3:10:53Boston. Thank you for this opportunity

3:10:55to comment on policy orders seven and

3:10:58eight. And, I urge you to reject these

3:11:00proposals.

3:11:02Instead, the Cambridge City Council

3:11:03should focus on housing affordability,

3:11:06public safety, infrastructure, and city

3:11:08services that ultimately benefit its

3:11:11citizenry.

3:11:12Foreign policy is principally a federal

3:11:14responsibility. Municipal purchasing

3:11:17authority is not a blank check to pursue

3:11:20matters of foreign policy. Moreover,

3:11:22it's wasteful and not without

3:11:24consequence. In Crosby versus National

3:11:27Foreign Trade Council, the Supreme Court

3:11:28struck down Massachusetts' Burma

3:11:31purchasing restrictions because they

3:11:32conflicted with federal law. That ruling

3:11:35does not automatically invalidate these

3:11:36proposals, but it underscores the legal

3:11:39risk and potential cost to citizens.

3:11:41Cambridge citizens should not face

3:11:43costly potential costly litigation for

3:11:45symbolic gestures without demonstrated

3:11:47tangible benefits. The council's

3:11:49responsibility is to meet local needs

3:11:51and protect everyone in the community. I

3:11:54urge you to

3:11:55>> Thank you. Your time is expired. For

3:11:57those waiting, we are at speaker number

3:11:58155.

3:12:01Our next speaker is D. Ahee, followed by

3:12:04A. Co and Stephanie Hooton.

3:12:08>> Thank you. My name is Dave. I'm a family

3:12:10doctor. I spent my entire career caring

3:12:12for the patients of Cambridge.

3:12:15I ran Healthcare for the Homeless for

3:12:16the city of Cambridge.

3:12:18I love my patients.

3:12:20When we say Ireland, the world hears

3:12:23Catholic.

3:12:24When we say Pakistani, the world hears

3:12:26Muslim.

3:12:27When we say Israel, the world hears Jew.

3:12:30We can't do this.

3:12:32My patients can't be at risk. We can't

3:12:34do this. There are ways through that are

3:12:36better than this. Don't name a people.

3:12:38Real solutions. Let's find real justice.

3:12:41Of course, we should. We should be

3:12:42healers. Please.

3:12:45Someone's going to get hurt. Someone's

3:12:47actually going to get physically hurt.

3:12:49Please don't do that.

3:12:50There's a third way. There's some other

3:12:52way. The The justice underneath this is

3:12:54beautiful. It's very Cambridge. Please.

3:12:56But don't do these. We can do better

3:12:58than these. Find some other way. That's

3:13:00what you do so well.

3:13:02Find something that heals us actually.

3:13:04Don't threaten my patients or my family,

3:13:06please. Thank you.

3:13:09>> Thank you. Our next speaker is A. Co.

3:13:17>> Hi. Thank you for listening. My name is

3:13:19Allison Cook.

3:13:21I want to focus on one particular

3:13:24chilling phrase in these policies, and

3:13:27that is

3:13:28individuals who are complicit.

3:13:32I spent my entire adult life in

3:13:34Cambridge, raising my children on its

3:13:36playgrounds, soccer fields, and library

3:13:38reading rugs.

3:13:40And one of the greatest joys of living

3:13:42here has been getting to know neighbors

3:13:44from all over the world whose lives

3:13:47carry both the gifts and the burdens of

3:13:51different family histories and

3:13:52conflicts.

3:13:54Um but here in Cambridge, we get to

3:13:56build something different. A community

3:13:58grounded in democratic freedoms where we

3:14:01can disagree passionately without

3:14:03threatening one another.

3:14:05These policies severely undermine that

3:14:08vision. They invite suspicion and

3:14:10discrimination

3:14:12and redlining against individuals based

3:14:16on McCarthy-esque

3:14:18kinds of lists.

3:14:20>> by organizations that

3:14:21>> Thank you. Your time is expired.

3:14:23Our next speaker is Stephanie Houten,

3:14:25followed by Lior

3:14:27Alone.

3:14:30>> Stephanie Houten, small business owner

3:14:32who works in Cambridge and surrounding

3:14:34areas, speaking in support of

3:14:35divestment. Israel's genocide against

3:14:38Palestinians is one of the greatest

3:14:39atrocities of this generation. 28

3:14:42million silly city dollars for weapons

3:14:44companies who are selling the bombs for

3:14:46genocide against Palestinians is

3:14:48unacceptable and criminal.

3:14:50As said before, Cambridge tax dollars

3:14:52are funding real bombs that are killing

3:14:54real Palestinian people. Therefore, this

3:14:57is a local issue that the city must

3:14:58divest from.

3:15:00If you want to heal trauma as Zionists

3:15:02in this hearing keep saying, stop paying

3:15:04for bombs being dropped on Palestinians.

3:15:06No one here is saying anti-Semitism

3:15:08doesn't exist. Wanting to end the

3:15:10genocide of Palestinians is not

3:15:12anti-Semitism.

3:15:14The world is against Zionism, a racist

3:15:16and self-described colonial and

3:15:17genocidal politic, not Judaism. Ending

3:15:20genocide is not anti-Semitism. Jewish

3:15:23people are not being targeted when we

3:15:24divest money out of bombs and weapons.

3:15:26Cambridge must divest just as they did

3:15:28in 2021 from fossil fuels and in 1980

3:15:31from apartheid South Africa. Vote yes on

3:15:33policy order 78.

3:15:35>> Sorry. Thank you.

3:15:37Our next speaker is Lior Alone, followed

3:15:39by

3:15:41Amin Elmagani.

3:15:47Lior is not in the Zoom. Our next

3:15:49speaker is Amin Elmagani.

3:15:58They are also not in the Zoom. Our next

3:16:00speaker is Edward Childs.

3:16:07>> Thank you.

3:16:08Um Ed Childs, I

3:16:10um I've been a union organizer at

3:16:11Harvard University for over 50 years. Um

3:16:15high schools, colleges, unions have been

3:16:18protesting

3:16:19apartheid [clears throat]

3:16:21and genocide all over the world from

3:16:23Somerville High School to Ireland to

3:16:25South Africa. Nobody wants these

3:16:28corporations who are funding and

3:16:30actually instituting apartheid and

3:16:33genocide in their countries.

3:16:35We don't want it here.

3:16:37Local 26, the hotel restaurant workers,

3:16:40we've had to deal with them because a

3:16:43lot of them own hotels. They're the most

3:16:45ruthless employers you could get. They

3:16:49>> [clears throat]

3:16:49>> very anti-union. Also, ones like

3:16:52Fidelity also are the major funders of

3:16:55the KKK. These are what we're getting

3:16:58um from these corporations. Just think

3:17:01of a corporation going to commit

3:17:03genocide and apartheid in in another

3:17:06country thinking that they're going to

3:17:08be good here.

3:17:09>> Thank you. Your time has expired. You

3:17:10can email the remainder of your

3:17:11comments.

3:17:13Our next speaker is David Berkinsky,

3:17:16followed by Lucia Brugger and Seymour

3:17:18Kellerman.

3:17:19David, go ahead.

3:17:21>> Uh David, uh working at MIT, proud

3:17:23founding member of the Jewish student

3:17:24congregation Kehillah, and proud member

3:17:26of the Ahava and Anti-Zionist show here

3:17:29in Cambridge. I mainly want to take my

3:17:31time to address the city councilors who

3:17:32are still unsure where they stand.

3:17:34Do not cower from voting for divestment

3:17:36because it will be divisive.

3:17:38We are looking for you to lead. Be a

3:17:40leader.

3:17:41I mean, this is why governments get

3:17:42completely delegitimized and why

3:17:44Americans hate voting and hate politics.

3:17:46Do not hide behind excuses none

3:17:48of us believe instead of doing a common

3:17:50sense thing supported by most of your

3:17:52constituents like divest from genocide.

3:17:55At the very least, do not stand in the

3:17:56way of what is a clearly a popular call.

3:17:59I would encourage you to think about

3:18:00what it means for you to vote against or

3:18:02even to abstain from the call to divest.

3:18:05Currently, as we sit here, Cambridge is

3:18:06complicit in the war machine that has

3:18:07killed killed, maimed, and displaced

3:18:09countless lives. Doesn't that eat away

3:18:12at you? What do you tell yourself to be

3:18:13okay with that?

3:18:15Councilors,

3:18:16stand with the people.

3:18:18Cambridge should never be a city that

3:18:19aids this genocidal war machine. Please

3:18:21vote for divestment.

3:18:23>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Lucia

3:18:25Brugger.

3:18:30Lucia, you're unmuted. Go ahead.

3:18:42Lucia, go ahead. You're unmuted on our

3:18:45end and it looks like on your end as

3:18:46well.

3:18:53>> Can you hear me?

3:18:54>> Yes, go ahead.

3:18:56>> Good evening. My name is Lucia. I live

3:18:58in Cambridge and I also work for the

3:19:00city of Cambridge.

3:19:01I'm here to urge you to support

3:19:02divestment from companies complicit in

3:19:04war crimes and the occupation of

3:19:06Palestinians.

3:19:07I'm the granddaughter of a Holocaust

3:19:08survivor. Growing up, I couldn't

3:19:10understand how the world could watch

3:19:12such suffering and stay silent.

3:19:15My family taught me that never again

3:19:16means never again for anyone.

3:19:18Doctors who volunteered in Gaza have

3:19:20described treating child after child

3:19:22shot directly in the head and chest.

3:19:24As a parent, I can't imagine that pain,

3:19:26and it hurts me that we are still

3:19:27unwilling to act.

3:19:29As a city employee, this the city's

3:19:31pension fund holds savings meant for my

3:19:33future, and I don't want my retirement

3:19:35built on companies that profit from the

3:19:37killing of Palestinian children.

3:19:39My grandparents' generation asked why

3:19:41more people did not act. Tonight, you

3:19:43can act. Please vote yes on divestment.

3:19:46Thank you.

3:19:48>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Seymour

3:19:51Kellerman, followed by Paul Pierce.

3:19:58Seymour is not in the Zoom. Our next

3:20:00speaker is Paul Pierce.

3:20:08>> Hello, my name is Paul Pierce, and I'm a

3:20:09Cambridge resident and MIT student. I'm

3:20:11asking that you vote yes on policy order

3:20:127 and 8. Part of the proposed divestment

3:20:14includes $5 million from companies like

3:20:16Palantir and L3 Harris. Palantir's CEO

3:20:18told investors that Palantir is the

3:20:19first company to be completely

3:20:20anti-woke. Palantir is a street partner

3:20:22of ICE, which describes Palantir's

3:20:23technology as mission-critical to ICE

3:20:24operations. ICE uses technology to

3:20:26conduct workplace raids to deport

3:20:28migrants and separate parents from their

3:20:29children. Palantir provides Gotham data

3:20:31management systems to American law

3:20:32enforcement agencies. Officers do not

3:20:34need a warrant to access the data

3:20:35storage, which includes information

3:20:36about individuals and their

3:20:37relationships, credit card records,

3:20:38mental health diagnoses, and more. L3

3:20:40Harris supplies cell site simulators to

3:20:41ICE. These devices trick cell phones

3:20:43into connecting them rather than a

3:20:44tower, allowing ICE to track the

3:20:45movement of undocumented immigrants.

3:20:47They also manufacture components for the

3:20:48JDAM guidance kit. In May 2021, Israel

3:20:50killed 44 civilians and destroyed a

3:20:52residential high-rise that served as

3:20:53headquarters for the Associated Press

3:20:55and Al Jazeera using JDAM guided bombs.

3:20:57This only a small part of the moral

3:20:58depravity that these companies engage

3:21:00in. Their business model is to build the

3:21:01machinery of industrialized violence and

3:21:03sell it to fascists. We must divest now.

3:21:06>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Samir

3:21:09Bujad Bujada,

3:21:13followed by Gnome Tanner and Harold

3:21:17Bergeson.

3:21:23>> Councilors, my name is Samer. I work and

3:21:26I live in Cambridge, and I'm also an

3:21:28Arab immigrant. So, I've observed and

3:21:30I've witnessed first hand first hand how

3:21:32this country

3:21:34pictures us as uncivilized, barbaric

3:21:36people, even terrorists. So, that in

3:21:38convinces everyone to send our tax

3:21:41dollars, your tax dollars, back home for

3:21:44thousands of dollars and millions of

3:21:46bombs

3:21:47to destroy my people's universities, my

3:21:50people's hospitals, my people's schools,

3:21:54my people's public gardens, which we

3:21:55enjoy here so very much from our own tax

3:21:58dollars.

3:21:59And as you watch this genocide happening

3:22:00every single day.

3:22:02And I'm here to say this is enough. We

3:22:04can make a difference. We are all here,

3:22:06most of us, the majority of us, Jews and

3:22:07non-Jews, Arabs and non-Arabs, to say

3:22:09one thing, this is enough.

3:22:12Please, I beg you, cuz I've seen this

3:22:14and all of us here have seen this.

3:22:15Divest, divest, divest.

3:22:19Thank you.

3:22:20>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Noam

3:22:22Tanner.

3:22:29Noam, you're unmuted. Go ahead.

3:22:31>> Hello. My name is Noam and I'm a

3:22:33Cambridge voter. My grandparents on both

3:22:35sides of my family lived in Palestine

3:22:37under the British mandate and in Israel

3:22:39after 1948. I oppose policy orders 195

3:22:43and 196. I oppose them because I'm tired

3:22:46of watching activists attempting to burn

3:22:48down rather than building up. The

3:22:50authors could have proposed funding

3:22:52medical treatment in Gaza, providing

3:22:54food, supporting education, or fostering

3:22:56dialogue. They could have proposed

3:22:58humanitarian assistance that directly

3:23:00benefits Palestinians,

3:23:02practicing what they preach, and avoid

3:23:04funding the genocidal Hamas regime.

3:23:06Instead, these orders focus on divesting

3:23:09from multinationals featured on American

3:23:11exchanges on the name of vilifying

3:23:13Israel. These proposals have already

3:23:15deepened divisions in Cambridge. Just

3:23:17listen to the room tonight. I sure did.

3:23:20I heard my neighbors call me an

3:23:21oppressor and accuse me of condoning

3:23:23genocide. I encourage the council to do

3:23:26what they do best and that is to stand

3:23:28for positive solutions that unite us

3:23:30all. Thank you.

3:23:32>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Harold

3:23:35Bornstein followed by Wendy H and Molly

3:23:38Brooks.

3:23:47Harold is not in the Zoom. We will go to

3:23:50Wendy H.

3:23:56>> [snorts]

3:24:02>> Wendy, you're unmuted. Go ahead.

3:24:06>> Hi, can you hear me okay?

3:24:08>> Yes, go ahead.

3:24:10>> Great, thank you. Um, good evening. I'm

3:24:13a participant of the Massachusetts

3:24:15address confidentiality program. I urge

3:24:18you to divest from genocide. Cambridge

3:24:21is the first city in the state where I

3:24:23found long-term housing after assault

3:24:26and collusion-related [clears throat]

3:24:28uh repeat stalking and harassment forced

3:24:30me to relocate here from another state.

3:24:33Given this experience and since learning

3:24:35about Palestinians' plight in early

3:24:382000, I have followed with concern and

3:24:41horror at the supposed only democracy in

3:24:44the Middle East commit prejudicial and

3:24:47segregationist acts that would be

3:24:49considered criminal in true democracies.

3:24:52Over the past 3 years, I have learned

3:24:55the shocking scale at which that

3:24:56Cambridge, the city where I took refuge

3:24:59since 2022, has contributed to Israel's

3:25:02genocide of Palestinians. While I'm glad

3:25:04to see that Cambridge is no longer home

3:25:07to Elbit Systems, and is really uh

3:25:10>> Thank you, Wendy. Your time is expired.

3:25:12Our next speaker is Molly Brooks,

3:25:14followed by Laura Curiel.

3:25:19>> Molly Brooks, 70 Matignon Road, speaking

3:25:21in favor of divestment.

3:25:23I walk down the halls of Sarah Lawrence

3:25:25every morning before students arrive and

3:25:27before the teaching day starts. And

3:25:28truly every workday, I think about how

3:25:30my labor as a public educator is funding

3:25:33the murder of students and teachers in

3:25:34Palestine. It's sickening and I didn't

3:25:36consent to that.

3:25:38When I sleep soundly at night in the

3:25:39apartment I pay for each month, some of

3:25:41that money is the reason why a

3:25:43Palestinian's family is now in rubble

3:25:45and they're displaced.

3:25:46It's cruel. It's disgusting. I did not

3:25:49consent for my taxes and for our public

3:25:51funds to be used to perpetuate the worst

3:25:53crime against humanity.

3:25:55I'm a history teacher and something I

3:25:56make sure my students know when we learn

3:25:58about genocides is that upstanders

3:26:00always exist as well as people who try

3:26:02to interrupt it. City Council members,

3:26:05tonight you have an opportunity to stand

3:26:06on the right side of history and be an

3:26:08upstander and an interrupter.

3:26:10What will you say when your

3:26:11grandchildren or future generations ask

3:26:13you about how you acted tonight? Vote

3:26:15yes to divest. Show your humanity.

3:26:18>> Thank you. We're at speaker number 170,

3:26:21Laura Curiel, followed by Claudia

3:26:24Piencia, then the Reverend Carrie

3:26:27Ballinger.

3:26:28Laura?

3:26:35Laura, if you can unmute yourself, you

3:26:36have the floor.

3:26:42>> Can you hear me?

3:26:44>> We can. Please go ahead.

3:26:47>> My name is Laura Curiel and I work as a

3:26:48medical speech therapist in Cambridge. I

3:26:51strongly support the policy orders to

3:26:52boycott and divest from companies

3:26:54complicit in Israel's genocide,

3:26:56apartheid, and illegal occupation of

3:26:58Palestine.

3:26:59For the last 3 years, I've watched my

3:27:01fellow healthcare workers in Gaza

3:27:02abducted and assassinated for doing

3:27:04their jobs. Sat helplessly at my phone

3:27:07as Israel

3:27:08occupation forces bombed dozens of

3:27:10hospitals, destroyed fertility clinics,

3:27:13left babies in incubators to die,

3:27:15eliminated the infrastructure to count

3:27:17the injured and dead.

3:27:19The UN has called this medacide,

3:27:21deliberate and systematic destruction of

3:27:23a healthcare system. Mohammad Abu Afash,

3:27:27director of the Medical Relief Society

3:27:28in Gaza City, warned yesterday of the

3:27:30imminent and total collapse of what

3:27:32remains of the healthcare system in the

3:27:34the Gaza Strip. The international

3:27:36community, our federal government under

3:27:37both parties, has failed Palestinians

3:27:39for decades. We need to step up as

3:27:41during South African apartheid and let

3:27:43our local community start a domino

3:27:45effect.

3:27:46>> Thank you, Laura. Please email us the

3:27:47remainder. We will go on to

3:27:51Claudia Piencia, followed by the

3:27:53Reverend Carrie Ballinger, then Jonathan

3:27:56Dorfman.

3:27:58Claudia?

3:28:04Claudia has not joined us. We will move

3:28:05on to speaker 172, Carrie Ballinger.

3:28:13Carrie has not joined. We will go to

3:28:15Jonathan Dorfman.

3:28:20Jonathan, you have the floor. Please go

3:28:21ahead. You have 1 minute.

3:28:27>> I've been hearing the arguments of

3:28:28supporters of this infamous policy order

3:28:31in which genocide seems to be bandied

3:28:33about casually. I'm reminded of what

3:28:36George Orwell called the inversion of

3:28:37truth. War is peace, freedom is slavery,

3:28:40ignorance is strength.

3:28:42First, if Israel is committing genocide,

3:28:44then why are 30% of Israel's doctors and

3:28:4640% of its nurses Palestinians? Why will

3:28:49the Palestinian parties in Israel gain

3:28:51about 10 to 15 seats in the elections

3:28:53next week? Why are 20% of the

3:28:55engineering students at Technion, which

3:28:57is Israel's MIT, Palestinian. Why has

3:29:00Israel accepted every peace proposal to

3:29:02share the land in a two-state solution

3:29:04since 1948 only to be met by terror and

3:29:07war most recently on October 7th?

3:29:10Second, a more inversion of the truth.

3:29:13If Hamas is the victim of genocide, why

3:29:15do its supporters fail to mention that

3:29:16it was Hamas which launched the war on

3:29:18October 7th? And if intent to commit

3:29:21genocide matters, why doesn't this

3:29:22resolution consider the Hamas charter,

3:29:25which explicitly calls for the death of

3:29:26the Jews? There is nothing similar to

3:29:28that in Israel's founding document.

3:29:31>> Our next speaker is Bayan Abbasi,

3:29:33followed by Dan Gruen, then Jennifer

3:29:35Sucre. Bayan, you have the floor. Please

3:29:38go ahead. You have 1 minute.

3:29:44>> Hello. Can you hear me?

3:29:45>> We can. Please go ahead.

3:29:47>> Hi. My name is Bayan Abbasi. I'm a

3:29:49Palestinian American Cambridge resident

3:29:51of almost 10 years, and I'm here about a

3:29:53simple principle. Our tax dollars always

3:29:55belong here. Every dollar invested in

3:29:57the machinery of war is a dollar not

3:29:59working for Cambridge families. Our tax

3:30:01dollars should fund our schools, our

3:30:02housing, our streets, and not companies

3:30:04profiting from war and the killing of

3:30:05civilians. Cambridge not residents never

3:30:08voted to be part of this. Divestment

3:30:10doesn't ask you to solve a conflict. It

3:30:11isn't about anti-Semitism or even the

3:30:13anti-Palestinian racism that my own kids

3:30:15face from others at CPS. It's about our

3:30:17tax dollars being invested in immoral

3:30:19defense companies. It asks you to make

3:30:21sure our public funds are not tied to

3:30:23human rights violations. I love the

3:30:25city's progressiveness, and I love

3:30:26living here. Tonight, I'm asking you to

3:30:28show it. Please vote yes. Thank you.

3:30:34>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Dan

3:30:36Gruen, followed by Jennifer Sucre, then

3:30:40Janie Bischoff.

3:30:41Dan?

3:30:44You have 1 minute. Please go ahead.

3:30:54Dan Gruen, if you can unmute yourself.

3:30:59>> Thank you. I urge you to reject these

3:31:01resolutions. They are truly BDS, biased

3:31:03and bigoted, distorted and diluted,

3:31:05spiteful and slanderous. They start

3:31:07whereas there is a genocide, whereas

3:31:09there is an apartheid, as if those are

3:31:10known truths, adopting the most

3:31:11blatantly one-sided anti-Israel opinions

3:31:14and actually ignoring the fact on the

3:31:15ground. Looking at the facts and

3:31:16numbers, there is no genocide, but

3:31:17instead sadly the results of an urban

3:31:20war that Israel was forced to fight.

3:31:22Look to Israeli society with its 2

3:31:23million Arab citizens who serve in

3:31:25government, work in companies, teach.

3:31:27Many are doctors. Many towns in Israel

3:31:28you hear the Muslim call to prayer

3:31:30multiple times a day. Genocide is what

3:31:32Hamas calls for and teaches. Ethnic

3:31:34cleansing is what those who shout from

3:31:36the river to the sea, Palestine will be

3:31:38Arab, as I heard people teaching the

3:31:40crowd in Arabic on Mass Ave on MIT's

3:31:42campus in your beautiful city of

3:31:44Cambridge.

3:31:45They punish all Israelis including its 2

3:31:47million Arab citizens and the millions

3:31:49of Jewish residents who are themselves

3:31:50or immediately descended from the

3:31:51hundreds of thousands of Jews forced to

3:31:53leave their homes

3:31:54in the Arab world because of violent

3:31:56pogroms.

3:31:57More importantly, I want peace, but

3:31:58these don't support peace. These do not

3:32:00encourage reconciliation. They incite

3:32:03>> Please email us the remainder. We're

3:32:05going to go back to Harold Burstyn

3:32:08followed by

3:32:10Jennifer Sucre then Janie Bishop.

3:32:12Harold, please go ahead. You have the

3:32:14floor. 1 minute.

3:32:16>> Thank you councilors

3:32:19for taking the time to listen.

3:32:21I've lived in Cambridge and have an home

3:32:24over Cambridge like since 1982.

3:32:27Most of my family was murdered in the

3:32:30show over 200 people.

3:32:32I also

3:32:33am a therapist and I see children of

3:32:36survivors of the show.

3:32:38They are absolutely intimidated by this

3:32:41policy order.

3:32:42The we are and many of them by the way

3:32:45super are on the left of the

3:32:48either far left, they were still

3:32:50intimidated. The only people this will

3:32:52help is Hamas who uses children as human

3:32:55shields.

3:32:56It will not help as well moderates. It

3:32:59will not help as well centrists,

3:33:02be they Jewish or Arab. Please, do not

3:33:05go ahead and enable anti-Semitism by

3:33:08voting on this order.

3:33:10Thank you so much.

3:33:13>> Our next speaker is Jennifer Sikora,

3:33:15followed by Janie Bischoff, then Micah

3:33:18Sandman. We are at speaker number 176.

3:33:24I do not see Jennifer in the Zoom. We

3:33:26will go to Janie Bischoff.

3:33:30Janie, you have 1 minute. Please go

3:33:32ahead.

3:33:35>> My name is Janie Bischoff. One of the

3:33:38wonderful things about Cambridge, where

3:33:40I spent uh years as a student and now

3:33:43come to mentor young entrepreneurs at

3:33:46MIT, used to be the city's diverse

3:33:49community and ex- inclusive spirit. That

3:33:52spirit was broken by actions like the

3:33:55repeated BDS proposals, now included in

3:33:58policy orders 195 and 196. By targeting

3:34:03companies doing business in the Jewish

3:34:05homeland, rather than taking action

3:34:08against the long list of company

3:34:10countries that actually abuse human

3:34:13rights, these orders target and single

3:34:16out Jews. As you've heard tonight, the

3:34:19sentiments also incite threats and

3:34:22violence against members of the Jewish

3:34:24community. Please, vote no on these

3:34:27orders. Thank you.

3:34:30>> Our next speaker is Micah Sandman,

3:34:33followed by Lawrence Timken, then

3:34:34Carsten F.

3:34:36Micah?

3:34:42I do not see Mica

3:34:44in the Zoom. We will go to Lawrence

3:34:46Tamkin.

3:34:51Lawrence, you have 1 minute. Please go

3:34:52ahead.

3:34:55>> Hi.

3:34:56Um the majority of people I've heard uh

3:34:59speak tonight,

3:35:00it's very surprising how ignorant,

3:35:03uneducated, stupid they are.

3:35:07I hope this is not representative of the

3:35:08rest of this country.

3:35:10First of all, there is no genocide in

3:35:12Gaza. The only organization

3:35:16in the world that is recognized as a

3:35:19legal authority to determine if a

3:35:21country has committed a genocide is the

3:35:24International Court of Justice, the ICJ.

3:35:27Please Google, if you know how to use

3:35:29it, and ask if the ICJ has ever accused

3:35:34or determined that Israel has ever

3:35:38committed a genocide. The answer you see

3:35:40will be no. I've heard the word genocide

3:35:44used about 500 times. This is either a

3:35:47lie or more likely the fact that the

3:35:50people using this are completely

3:35:52uneducated and have done no research

3:35:55whatsoever, and they are sheep.

3:35:58>> Our next speaker

3:36:00>> Folks, I'm let's please continue.

3:36:04>> Thank you, Madam Mayor. Our next speaker

3:36:06is Carsten F followed by Eke Turnato,

3:36:10then Abe Sheck Sheckinger. Sorry.

3:36:14Uh Carsten, please go ahead.

3:36:16>> My name is Carsten Frye. I live in

3:36:18Boston. I dine, shop, and volunteer in

3:36:20Cambridge, and my brother went to

3:36:21college here.

3:36:23Do I divest a collective 1.2% from the

3:36:25pension and OPEB funds and reinvest them

3:36:28in companies who are not facilitating

3:36:30Israel's genocide, which continues with

3:36:32the killing of 1,500 Palestinians,

3:36:34including 300 children, during a

3:36:36so-called ceasefire. Israel killed five

3:36:38Palestinians in Gaza in the last 24

3:36:40hours.

3:36:42Why single out Israel? Because our

3:36:43presidents and congresses have

3:36:45cumulatively funneled over 200 billion

3:36:48American tax dollars worth of weapons to

3:36:49Israel, no matter how they behave. And

3:36:52that's much more than to any other

3:36:53country. And no, we don't send any bombs

3:36:55to Russia or the RSF in Sudan.

3:36:59Now, Trump is sanctioning the ICC

3:37:01largely to protect wanted war criminals

3:37:04Netanyahu and Gantz, who

3:37:06because they clearly cannot afford

3:37:08Sorry, we clearly cannot afford to pass

3:37:10the administration the buck on human

3:37:12rights.

3:37:13The buck has to stop here, and the bucks

3:37:15have to stop flowing

3:37:16to

3:37:18I'm so sorry.

3:37:20>> It's your time. Please email us the

3:37:21rest.

3:37:23Uh the next name is ECE. I'm sorry, I'm

3:37:26going to have you pronounce that for me,

3:37:28and then we will follow that by Abe

3:37:30Sheshenger, then Miller.

3:37:34Mr. Uh Turnator, you have the floor.

3:37:37Please go ahead.

3:37:46If you can unmute yourself, you have the

3:37:47floor.

3:37:55They are unable to unmute. We'll come

3:37:57back. We're going

3:38:08We will come back. Our next speaker is

3:38:11Abe Sheshenger, followed by

3:38:14Miller.

3:38:21>> Hello all.

3:38:23My name is Abe Sheshenger, and I'm a

3:38:24student down the street at MIT.

3:38:27Almost 3 years ago, encampments swept

3:38:29the nation, including at MIT. I count

3:38:31among my friends many comrades who slept

3:38:34in tents and protested daily to bring

3:38:37awareness to the atrocities Israel has

3:38:38been committing. I count among my

3:38:40friends many comrades in many

3:38:42organizations here in Cambridge that

3:38:44have been fighting for Palestinian

3:38:45liberation. It is detestable that I must

3:38:48stand here more than 3 years into this

3:38:50genocide and more than 7 decades into

3:38:52this occupation still fighting for these

3:38:54same basic moral issues.

3:38:57The whole world and I presume Cambridge

3:38:59City Council as well has watched these

3:39:01atrocities live streamed to our phones.

3:39:03If you're sitting here uncertain of

3:39:05which way you should vote, I can only

3:39:07ask where you have spent the last 3

3:39:08years because it certainly hasn't been

3:39:10in Cambridge.

3:39:13>> Thank you. We're going to go back to

3:39:15earlier skipped speaker Kathy Watkins

3:39:18followed by

3:39:19Miller, Daniel Serfaty, then Dan

3:39:23Coleman.

3:39:25Kathy?

3:39:29>> Hi everybody. I got kicked off Zoom, so

3:39:31I'm here in person. Um thank you. Nice

3:39:34to see everyone. Um Palantir, Lockheed

3:39:36Martin, GE Aerospace, Elbit Systems,

3:39:39Exxon, Motorola, these are the companies

3:39:42the orders are targeting. Palestinian

3:39:44children are being intentionally shot in

3:39:46the head. Doctors and journalists are

3:39:47being tortured and killed. These

3:39:49companies are complicit and our city is

3:39:51helping them.

3:39:54Please do not water down this policy

3:39:56order. Israel must be named. Naming

3:39:59specific harms is how divestment works.

3:40:01These companies are targeted based on

3:40:03their actions and not on their religion.

3:40:06Please look to your morals and do the

3:40:08right thing. Thank you so much.

3:40:11>> Thank you. Our next speaker, speaker

3:40:12number 183, Miller, followed by

3:40:16Daniel Serfaty, then Dan Coleman.

3:40:21you have the floor. You have 1

3:40:23minute. Please go ahead.

3:40:26>> Hi.

3:40:27My name is I live in Inman

3:40:29Square and I've lived here for about 10

3:40:30years. I work for a company that has

3:40:32customers throughout the world and as

3:40:34part of our annual compliance training,

3:40:36we're reminded of laws which make it

3:40:37illegal to participate in unsanctioned

3:40:39foreign boycotts. We sell the countries

3:40:41who do not have diplomatic relations

3:40:43with Israel and we're regularly asked if

3:40:45our products are produced in Israel.

3:40:47But they also ask something much more

3:40:48disturbing. They ask if any of our

3:40:50senior leadership [clears throat] is

3:40:51Jewish.

3:40:52And to be clear, it's it is just the

3:40:54Jewish people that we need to call our

3:40:56employees as being targeted.

3:40:59Rhetoric that singles out the world's

3:41:00one Jewish country breeds the

3:41:02anti-Semitism and is not the way to

3:41:03bring our community together.

3:41:05In the past 2 days, over 600 over 650

3:41:08Cantabrigians have signed a petition

3:41:10against these policy orders and we urge

3:41:13you to vote no. Thank you.

3:41:16>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Daniel

3:41:18Serfaty followed by Dan Coleman, then

3:41:21Noah Leba.

3:41:26Daniel Serfaty?

3:41:30Daniel's not with us. We will go to Dan

3:41:32Coleman followed by Noah Leba, then

3:41:34Joseph Hirsch.

3:41:37Dan Coleman, please go ahead. You have

3:41:39the floor.

3:41:42>> Hi, my name is Dan Coleman and I've

3:41:44lived on Fairmont Street near Dana Park

3:41:46for 15 years.

3:41:48I was very glad to read in the policy

3:41:50order that the City Council

3:41:52unequivocally condemns anti-Semitism.

3:41:56But I don't think it's going to matter.

3:41:59I don't think that my son, a high

3:42:02schooler at Ringe,

3:42:04will know that the council condemns

3:42:06anti-Semitism

3:42:08when he gets into some ordinary argument

3:42:10with other kids

3:42:12and they call him out as a Jew

3:42:14or do something much worse

3:42:17because the council has singled out

3:42:18Israel and people connected to it

3:42:22as murderers.

3:42:24Thank you.

3:42:26>> Thank you. Our next speaker is

3:42:29>> [clears throat]

3:42:29>> Noah Leba, followed by Joseph Hirsch,

3:42:32then Lehu Zong. Noah, please go ahead.

3:42:35You have the floor.

3:42:38>> My name is Noah Leba. I live near Inman

3:42:40Square and I go to synagogue in

3:42:41Cambridge. From a place of deep love for

3:42:44humanity, regardless of religion or

3:42:46nationality, I urge you to vote yes on

3:42:49policies 7 and 8.

3:42:52I'm Jewish and I'm currently studying to

3:42:54be a rabbi. I spend my time studying the

3:42:57texts and practices of Jewish tradition,

3:43:00a tradition that teaches that every life

3:43:01is a universe. Every life is precious.

3:43:05I urge city council to vote to end

3:43:07business with companies that are

3:43:08complicit in Israel's genocide,

3:43:10apartheid, and occupation of

3:43:12Palestinians.

3:43:14Policy orders 7 and 8 utilize the

3:43:16non-violent tactic of boycott. In a time

3:43:20of such extreme violence, taking

3:43:22non-violent action is brave and needed.

3:43:25I urge Cambridge to align with those who

3:43:26want peace, who want an end to bombings

3:43:28and violence for the sake of

3:43:30Palestinians, Israelis, and all people.

3:43:37>> Our next speaker is Joseph Hirsch,

3:43:39followed by Lehu Zong, then Andrew

3:43:41Schacht.

3:43:43Joseph,

3:43:44you have the floor. Please go ahead. You

3:43:46have 1 minute.

3:43:49>> Can you hear me?

3:43:50>> We can.

3:43:53>> I urge you to please, please vote no on

3:43:54policy orders 195 and 196. I do not

3:43:58think that Cambridge should prioritize

3:43:59foreign policy, but if we do, it is

3:44:01imperative that we pursue a principled

3:44:03approach.

3:44:04If we believe in divestment as a foreign

3:44:06policy tool, why should we not divest

3:44:08from numerous other countries, including

3:44:10China? Perhaps we should write a list.

3:44:13Should liberal democracies put people on

3:44:15lists and mark them for differential

3:44:17treatment on the basis of their

3:44:19political convictions pertaining to a

3:44:21complex geopolitical issue.

3:44:23Should the Cambridge City Council enact

3:44:25policies that will negligibly protect

3:44:27people in the Middle East, but harm

3:44:29people in Cambridge? Again, these

3:44:32policies will do nothing to protect

3:44:34people in the Middle East, but they will

3:44:35go to great lengths to create disparate

3:44:37impact, to discriminate against Jews and

3:44:40Israelis in Cambridge.

3:44:43>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Leihu

3:44:44Song followed by Andrew Schacht, then

3:44:47Gilly Rossen Swig.

3:44:50Leihu, please go ahead. You have 1

3:44:52minute.

3:44:53>> Good evening. I live in Cambridge near

3:44:55Inman Square.

3:44:56This policy order will not save or

3:44:58improve the life of a single

3:44:59Palestinian. It's purely performative so

3:45:01that American activists can pat

3:45:02themselves on the back. What it will do

3:45:04is put a target on the backs of Jews in

3:45:06Cambridge at a time when anti-Semitism

3:45:08is

3:45:08is at an all-time high in America, in

3:45:10Massachusetts, and in the Boston area.

3:45:13Last year a brick labeled Free Palestine

3:45:15was thrown through the window of the

3:45:16biggest kosher grocery store in the

3:45:18area.

3:45:19Please do not give approval to this

3:45:21hate. Please do not import it into

3:45:23Cambridge. Please vote no.

3:45:27>> Our next speaker is Andrew Schacht.

3:45:29Andrew?

3:45:34Andrew has not joined us. We're going to

3:45:35go on to Gilly Rossen Swig followed by

3:45:39Franny A.

3:45:41Gilly, you have the floor. Please go

3:45:42ahead. 1 minute.

3:45:48>> Good evening, councilors. My name is

3:45:50Gilly. I work and live in Cambridge and

3:45:52I used to love this city. I urge you to

3:45:55vote no on these orders.

3:45:58Look at the screens tonight.

3:46:00Over 400 people are waiting to speak.

3:46:04Many who don't live or pay taxes here.

3:46:06That's because these policy orders

3:46:08aren't local governments.

3:46:10They are performance arts.

3:46:14Extreme movements rarely declare

3:46:17their worst intentions outright.

3:46:20Instead,

3:46:22they find creative ways

3:46:25to normalize hostility against Israel,

3:46:29dressing up anti-Israel and anti-Jewish

3:46:32bias

3:46:33as municipal policy.

3:46:35BDS, by definition, is an anti-Israel

3:46:38campaign.

3:46:39And it's not about positive changes or

3:46:42not about stopping anymore.

3:46:45Thank you.

3:46:46>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Franny A,

3:46:49followed by

3:46:52Sammy R, then Ilette Schultz. Franny?

3:47:04Franny, if you can unmute yourself, you

3:47:05have 1 minute. Please go ahead.

3:47:09>> Hi. Um, my name is Franny Elani. I work

3:47:12as an early childhood educator in

3:47:14Cambridge and I'm a member of the

3:47:16congregation Minyan Site.

3:47:19Um, as the state of Israel continues to

3:47:21enact a genocide against Palestinians in

3:47:23Gaza and enforce illegal occupation and

3:47:26apartheid in all of Palestine, it's more

3:47:28critical than ever that we speak up and

3:47:30act, especially given that the US

3:47:32government is funding these atrocities

3:47:34and is directly complicit.

3:47:36I support the boycott and divestment

3:47:38measures being voted on tonight and urge

3:47:39the council to pass them.

3:47:41I want a future where Cambridge doesn't

3:47:43contract with companies like Palantir,

3:47:46Lockheed Martin and Raytheon that create

3:47:48deadly weapons, violate Palestinians'

3:47:50rights, partner with ICE, and accelerate

3:47:53climate catastrophe. This belief is in

3:47:55alignment with my Jewish values,

3:47:56including those of tikkun olam, where

3:47:58we're repairing the world, and pikuach

3:47:59nefesh, treating human life as sacred.

3:48:02Now is the time to enact these values.

3:48:05Thank you.

3:48:09>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Sammy R,

3:48:12followed by I Lit Schultz, then Asher

3:48:16Leba.

3:48:21I do not see Sammy in the Zoom. We will

3:48:22look for I I Lit Schultz.

3:48:26I Lit

3:48:27Oh, I'm sorry. Sammy, please go ahead. I

3:48:30Lit, please hold.

3:48:31>> Hi, my name is Sammy and I'm resident of

3:48:33Cambridge for the last 48 years.

3:48:37I uh

3:48:40700,000 people dead and wounded.

3:48:44Uh Gaza destroyed completely. The whole

3:48:47world calls it genocide and some people

3:48:49say oh maybe debatable. There is no

3:48:52debatable when you kill 700 wounded and

3:48:56uh destroy every hospital, every school,

3:48:59every church, every mosque, every

3:49:02university. Also, I personally lost more

3:49:06than 11

3:49:07members of my own family, my nephews and

3:49:09my nieces in Gaza.

3:49:12And uh I've been taxpayer for the city

3:49:15of Cambridge for the last

3:49:17uh 48 years. In the last 5 years alone,

3:49:19I paid hundreds of thousands of dollars

3:49:21for real estate taxes. But anyway, the

3:49:24question is you are intelligent people

3:49:26and you know what genocide and not

3:49:27genocide. Cambridge should take a stand

3:49:30for the first time and make a lead for

3:49:34the other cities to stop this uh

3:49:37maniac called Netanyahu and his uh

3:49:40groups from doing what

3:49:41>> Sorry, thank you. Your time is expired.

3:49:44We're going to go to our next speaker, I

3:49:46Lit Schultz, followed by Asher Leba,

3:49:49then Emma Lebwohl. I Lit, you have 1

3:49:52minute. Please go ahead.

3:50:01I Lit, you are please go ahead.

3:50:09>> Hello, can you hear me?

3:50:10>> We can now, please go ahead.

3:50:12>> Okay, thank you.

3:50:14There's a lot of tension here because we

3:50:16all want the suffering of Palestinians

3:50:17to end. Unfortunately, divestment

3:50:20doesn't help us accomplish this goal.

3:50:22What you might not know is that

3:50:23divestment is a hate movement funded by

3:50:25terrorist [clears throat] regimes and

3:50:27it's based on the lie that Jews are

3:50:29responsible for all of society's ills.

3:50:31This is anti-Semitism, a tale as old as

3:50:34time. The divestment advocates are

3:50:36trying to convince you that Israel is

3:50:38the enemy. Each one repeats the genocide

3:50:40lie over and over and the repetition is

3:50:43convincing, but it doesn't make it true.

3:50:46Look outside your echo chamber and you

3:50:48will see that the true genocidal regimes

3:50:50here are the Iranian regime and Hamas

3:50:52and you will understand that supporting

3:50:54these resolutions supports a hate

3:50:55movement that glorifies violence and

3:50:57wishes to bring that violence to our

3:50:59city.

3:51:00Don't believe the lies. Don't let

3:51:03Cambridge be used to perpetuate the

3:51:05lies. Don't be fooled and don't support

3:51:09these divestment resolutions. Thank you.

3:51:12>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Asher

3:51:15Leba followed by Emma Lebwohl, then

3:51:18Rushdi Ab

3:51:20Abu Al Khaija.

3:51:32Asher, if you can unmute yourself,

3:51:34please go ahead. You have the floor.

3:51:38>> Hi, my name is Asher Leba. I'm a

3:51:40grandchild of Holocaust survivors, a

3:51:43member of the Cambridge Jewish community

3:51:45and I work in Cambridge as an urban

3:51:46planner. For me, October 7th was a

3:51:49nightmare made real. Since then, Jews

3:51:51have questioned our safety in Israel and

3:51:53abroad while unimaginable destruction

3:51:55has rained down on Palestinians.

3:51:58Many tonight have said this policy order

3:51:59is motivated by hatred, but I want us

3:52:01all to consider the ways this might be

3:52:03motivated by love. I love the Jewish

3:52:05people, including those in Israel, but I

3:52:07know that the well-being of Jewish

3:52:08people everywhere demands an

3:52:09intervention. We Jews are a family, and

3:52:12like a family member in the throes of

3:52:14addiction, the state that acts in our

3:52:15name is in dire need of this

3:52:16intervention. The Israeli government has

3:52:19become addicted to violence, to American

3:52:21taxpayer money that enables that

3:52:22violence, and isolated Jews around the

3:52:24world. Support for this violence can no

3:52:26longer be ignored or enabled. We need

3:52:28friends like the city of Cambridge to

3:52:29say, "No more. We're cutting you off."

3:52:32For the sake of Jews and Palestinians in

3:52:34the land and around the world, no more

3:52:36money, no more bombs. Thank you.

3:52:39>> Our next speaker is Emma Lebwohl,

3:52:41followed by Rushdi Abu El Haj,

3:52:44then Joshua Brown.

3:52:48Emma, you have the floor. Please go

3:52:50ahead. You have 1 minute.

3:52:55>> My name is Emma Lebwohl, and I live in

3:52:57Somerville, and I'm in Cambridge almost

3:52:58every day.

3:52:59These past few These past few years,

3:53:02being a Jew here has really, frankly,

3:53:04sucked.

3:53:06I learned of the attacks of October 7th

3:53:08while in Cambridge at a Jewish holiday

3:53:09celebration that was supposed to be

3:53:11happy.

3:53:12As we were still learning how truly

3:53:14awful it was, before graves were even

3:53:15dug, there was a protest here on City

3:53:18Hall steps

3:53:19calling what was going on in Gaza a

3:53:21genocide before any response had even

3:53:23occurred.

3:53:24I can't express how baffling that is.

3:53:27And things have just spiraled from

3:53:28there, with kids getting yelled at in

3:53:29the streets just for wearing a kippah.

3:53:32They're still calling for globalizing

3:53:34the intifada. Just listen to the yelling

3:53:35outside.

3:53:37We are one step away from burning, just

3:53:38like Paris.

3:53:40Cambridge and Somerville have made

3:53:41themselves the center of anti-Israel and

3:53:43anti-Jewish hate. And if you think for 1

3:53:45second these things can be separated,

3:53:47think again.

3:53:49Please stop this insanity. Don't pass

3:53:51these orders, and think about what will

3:53:53make Cambridge a better place to live,

3:53:55not worse.

3:53:56Thank you.

3:53:57>> Our next speaker is Rushti Abu Khadija,

3:54:01followed by Joshua Brown, then Juliet

3:54:04Landa- Landisman. Rushti?

3:54:08>> Uh good evening. My name is Rushti, uh

3:54:11and I'm a Cambridge resident. I'm here

3:54:13to urge you to vote yes on policy orders

3:54:157 and 8 and to divest from the companies

3:54:17profiting from genocide in Palestine.

3:54:19As a Palestinian American, watching the

3:54:21US-backed destruction of my people day

3:54:23after day has been sickening, and it has

3:54:25been just as painful to hear members of

3:54:26our own community suggest that

3:54:28civilians, many of them children, are

3:54:30somehow complicit or less deserving of

3:54:31life.

3:54:33To be clear, these policies target

3:54:34companies for their actions, not

3:54:36anyone's religion or ethnicity.

3:54:39And when we invest in tools of

3:54:40oppression, we make ourselves less safe,

3:54:42too.

3:54:43Companies like Elbit Systems have used

3:54:45Palestine as a testing ground for

3:54:46increasingly advanced surveillance and

3:54:48weapons. Um please make our community

3:54:50safer and affirm life by voting yes on 7

3:54:53and 8. Thank you.

3:54:55>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Joshua

3:54:57Brown, followed by Juliet Landisman,

3:55:00then Tamara Roth.

3:55:05Joshua, you have the floor. Please go

3:55:07ahead. You have 1 minute.

3:55:11>> Hi. My name is Josh Brown. Uh I'm a

3:55:13physician, and I've been a Cambridge

3:55:15resident for over 10 years.

3:55:17As a doctor, the first obligation I have

3:55:19to my patients is do no harm.

3:55:22And just like me, as council members and

3:55:24public servants, you are also obligated

3:55:26to first do no harm.

3:55:29Listen to all the heated rhetoric and

3:55:30divisiveness tonight. These proposals

3:55:33are not solving a complex world problem,

3:55:35but only giving a platform for heat and

3:55:37hostility to spread in our city.

3:55:40We already need armed guards at Jewish

3:55:42institutions and houses of worship.

3:55:44Think about what that means. People in

3:55:46our community already have to worry

3:55:48about whether or not they are safe

3:55:50simply because they are Jewish.

3:55:52And in this environment

3:55:54you are considering measures that will

3:55:56further inflame Jewish hate, embolden

3:55:59those who spread hostility, and deepen

3:56:01the divisions that put people at risk.

3:56:03And so, I urge you again, please do no

3:56:07harm to people like me and so many

3:56:09others living in your city and oppose

3:56:11these measures. Thank you.

3:56:14>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Juliet

3:56:16Landis Man, followed by Tamara Roth.

3:56:23Juliet, please go ahead. You have 1

3:56:24minute.

3:56:28>> Hello. I assume that you can hear me.

3:56:30>> We can hear you. Please go ahead.

3:56:33>> Okay, good evening. I'm Juliet Landis

3:56:35Man of Brookline, Mass.

3:56:37I have spent countless hours in

3:56:38Cambridge with close friends.

3:56:40As an early childhood educator, I had

3:56:42the opportunity to visit a local program

3:56:44that uses the Reggio Emilia framework.

3:56:47Imagine my disappointment when I

3:56:48discovered that I would not be welcome

3:56:50to visit Reggio Emilia in Italy unless

3:56:52we renounce the country of my family.

3:56:54Israel is a multicultural democracy that

3:56:57includes Christians, Arabs, and Jews,

3:57:00which has been forced to defend itself

3:57:02against Hamas and other terrorist

3:57:03groups.

3:57:04The boycott resolution is being proposed

3:57:06here only serve to isolate a country

3:57:09which prefers

3:57:10prefers to live in harmony with all of

3:57:12its neighbors. Ask any Israeli and they

3:57:14will tell you they just want peace and

3:57:16they want to get along with everybody.

3:57:18Rather than sanction the state of

3:57:19Israel, let's talk and work together to

3:57:21bring peace to the Middle East via

3:57:23dialogue. It's time for Cambridge to

3:57:25focus on their local issues and not to

3:57:28attack the state of Israel. Thank you.

3:57:30>> Our next speaker is Tamara Roth,

3:57:32followed by Arion Morrison, then

3:57:35Michelle Rudy. Tamara, you have the

3:57:37floor. Please go ahead. 1 minute.

3:57:46>> Tamara Roth, if you can unmute yourself.

3:57:53>> Do you hear me?

3:57:54>> We can hear you. Please go ahead.

3:57:55>> Thank you.

3:57:57Hi. My name is Tamara, and I have been

3:58:00living in Cambridge for 4 years.

3:58:03Why are we here again with another

3:58:05proposed BDS measure against Israel?

3:58:08When you repeatedly single out Israel to

3:58:10the exclusion of every single country in

3:58:13the world, time after time, I've spoken

3:58:16here at least two or three times over

3:58:18the years, you need to ask yourselves

3:58:20why this obsession with the only Jewish

3:58:23state in the world.

3:58:24Israel is one of the US's most important

3:58:27allies and is the only democracy in the

3:58:29Middle East.

3:58:30In fact, it's the only place in the

3:58:32Middle East where a gay pride parade

3:58:34proudly takes place every year.

3:58:37This impossible standard that you place

3:58:39on the Jewish homeland, our safe haven,

3:58:42makes me and other Jews who live in your

3:58:44city feel unsafe and unwelcome. Please

3:58:48protect your constituents and oppose

3:58:49this measure. Thank you.

3:58:53>> Thank you. We are moving on to speaker

3:58:55number 200, Ariane Morrison, followed by

3:58:59Michelle Rudy, then Camilla Ruby

3:59:02Hernandez. Ariane, please go ahead.

3:59:05>> I'm here speaking in support of policy

3:59:07orders 7 and 8. I lived in Cambridge for

3:59:094 years before graduating from Harvard

3:59:11College, and now I work in Cambridge as

3:59:14a historian of international solidarity

3:59:16movements. And I can say that that

3:59:18history tells us in no uncertain terms

3:59:20that what this City Council does

3:59:22matters. It mattered in 1980 when this

3:59:25Council divested from apartheid South

3:59:27Africa. They paved the way for state and

3:59:29national divestment, and that mattered

3:59:31because apartheid fell, and my family

3:59:33living in Durban, Polokwane, Cape Town,

3:59:36and Johannesburg were allowed to move

3:59:38freely, vote, and exist peacefully on

3:59:41their lands for the first time in their

3:59:43lives. My family and I are living

3:59:45witness to and proof of the effects of

3:59:47this council's solidarity. What you do

3:59:50is not performative. It matters.

3:59:52Palestinians living under Israel's

3:59:54apartheid and genocide today deserve no

3:59:55less than what my family living under

3:59:57apartheid deserved then. I've been to

4:00:00the West Bank and that apartheid looks

4:00:02like what my family talks about. A vote

4:00:05against Israel's crimes today is a vote

4:00:06against apartheid South Africa years

4:00:08ago. Pass the divestment resolution now.

4:00:12>> Our next speaker is Michelle Rudy,

4:00:14followed by

4:00:16Camila Ruby Hernandez, then Zalo

4:00:18Brandon. Michelle, please go ahead. You

4:00:21have the floor. 1 minute.

4:00:25>> Hi. Um can you see me?

4:00:28>> We can hear you. Please go ahead.

4:00:30>> Oh. I I

4:00:31Um I'm here My name is Michelle. I am a

4:00:33parent. Um I live in Cambridge. I'm here

4:00:37with my daughter, Camila.

4:00:39>> Hi.

4:00:40>> Um and we were there in person today,

4:00:43but it got late. Got school tomorrow.

4:00:46So,

4:00:47um I wanted to say that we do not want

4:00:52I do not want my tax dollars going to

4:00:56uh

4:00:57something that's hurting people. I don't

4:00:59want to be complicit in in these

4:01:01horrible atrocities that I'm seeing. And

4:01:04I want to say that as a Jewish American,

4:01:07as a Jewish American mother, um a

4:01:09Cambridge resident, that the these

4:01:12claims of anti-Semitism are just

4:01:14completely unfounded and uh they do not

4:01:17speak for me. And I will pass it to my

4:01:20daughter.

4:01:22Go ahead, honey.

4:01:24>> My name is Camila. I'm 6 years old.

4:01:28I'm in first grade. We don't want our

4:01:32>> Sorry. Um

4:01:34I

4:01:35I know that's

4:01:36Look, look, folks, folks.

4:01:39Folks.

4:01:40Folks. Please.

4:01:43We have 150 people left.

4:01:46So, I ask for your patience.

4:01:48We're going by rules.

4:01:51If a colleague wants to suspend the

4:01:53rules to allow it, I will.

4:01:56>> I'd like to

4:01:56>> Next speaker.

4:01:59She's not next.

4:02:00>> I don't

4:02:04Well, so we would need to call the next

4:02:06speaker, who is Camilla Ruby Hernandez.

4:02:08>> next speaker, and then we'll continue.

4:02:10I'm just We're doing this by rules, by

4:02:12order. So, please do not interrupt.

4:02:15So, we'll go ahead to the next speaker,

4:02:17and Naomi needs to call the next

4:02:18speaker. Thank you.

4:02:21>> Our next speaker is Camilla Ruby Rudy

4:02:25Hernandez, followed by Zalo Brandon,

4:02:28then

4:02:29Shadi Salamoun.

4:02:40Camilla, if you can unmute yourself,

4:02:42please go ahead.

4:02:45>> Yeah. Go ahead. My name is Camilla. I'm

4:02:496 years old. I'm in first grade. We

4:02:53don't want our money to go to

4:02:56companies that hurt kids, adults, and

4:02:59elders.

4:03:01Everyone should be safe. Our money

4:03:05shouldn't shouldn't shouldn't go to hurt

4:03:09people.

4:03:11>> Thank you.

4:03:13>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Zalo

4:03:16Brandon, followed by Shadi Salamoun,

4:03:20then Estelle Reeves.

4:03:22Zalo, please go ahead, 1 minute.

4:03:25>> My name is Zalo, and I'm a native and

4:03:27current resident of North Cambridge here

4:03:29to speak on policy order two. I serve on

4:03:32the Kiosk Advisory Committee and I'm an

4:03:34event professional for the past 20

4:03:36years, most recently serving as the lead

4:03:38for Mount Auburn Solstice. I wanted to

4:03:41speak to the impressive work of the

4:03:42Kiosk's operator, CultureHouse.

4:03:45CultureHouse has presented the Advisory

4:03:47Committee with clear findings,

4:03:49highlighting data while identifying

4:03:51challenges and areas for improvement.

4:03:53For the upcoming quarter, they've

4:03:54reworked their programming model based

4:03:57on committee feedback. They've been

4:03:59insightful, adaptable, resourceful, and

4:04:01compassionate stewards of the space,

4:04:03working with a modest budget out of

4:04:05which they're expected to cover both

4:04:07programming and operational costs. The

4:04:10ongoing construction to the plaza has

4:04:12been a major obstacle for the space and

4:04:14it would be unfair to evaluate the

4:04:15success of the Kiosk's initial term

4:04:18without accounting for this disruption.

4:04:20I urge the council to not re-evaluate

4:04:22the operating model at this time so that

4:04:24CultureHouse has the opportunity to

4:04:26fulfill their contract with unencumbered

4:04:28support from the council and Harvard

4:04:30Square Business Association.

4:04:31>> comment.

4:04:32>> Thank you. Free Palestine.

4:04:34>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Estelle

4:04:38Sorry, Shadi Salamoun followed by

4:04:41Estelle Reeves then Josiah De Chiara.

4:04:56Shadi, if you can unmute yourself, you

4:04:58have the floor. Please go ahead.

4:05:00>> Thank you. Um hi, my name is Shadi

4:05:02Salamoun. Uh I support policy order

4:05:04seven to divest from companies complicit

4:05:06in Israel's genocide, apartheid, and

4:05:08ethnic cleansing of Palestine. Even

4:05:10after abolishing slavery, northern

4:05:12states like Massachusetts continued to

4:05:14purchase cotton from slave states like

4:05:16Mississippi. During the Holocaust,

4:05:17American companies provided Nazi Germany

4:05:20with the technology they needed to carry

4:05:22out their genocide. None of us today

4:05:24would say we would have been okay with

4:05:26our local tax dollars supporting

4:05:28companies complicit in slavery or the

4:05:30Holocaust.

4:05:32Why in the world would anyone think it's

4:05:33okay to continue to give our local tax

4:05:35dollars to companies complicit in

4:05:37killing Palestinians?

4:05:39Certainly those who oppose this policy

4:05:41would feel otherwise if Cambridge tax

4:05:43dollars were funding companies complicit

4:05:45in the murder of Israelis. Yet they

4:05:46carve out an exception for Palestinians,

4:05:49and that's what anti-Palestinian racism

4:05:51looks like. Our comfort should never be

4:05:53an exchange of the systematic murder,

4:05:54rape, and torture of Palestinians or any

4:05:57other group. Please vote yes on this

4:05:59bill. Thank you.

4:06:01>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Estelle

4:06:03Reeves, followed by Josiah De Chiara,

4:06:07then Layla El Zubair.

4:06:09Estelle, you have the floor. Please go

4:06:11ahead.

4:06:131 minute.

4:06:17>> Hello, can you hear me?

4:06:18>> We can. Please go ahead.

4:06:23>> Good evening.

4:06:24My name is Estelle Reeves, and I live

4:06:27and study in Cambridge.

4:06:29I'm calling on the city

4:06:31to divest

4:06:33our public funds from the companies

4:06:35complicit in Israel military operations,

4:06:38illegal occupation, and ongoing genocide

4:06:41in Gaza.

4:06:43Cambridge has long been a leader in

4:06:44advocating for human rights. During the

4:06:46height of apartheid in South Africa,

4:06:48Cambridge was among the first to take a

4:06:50stand, challenging Polaroid's role there

4:06:53in helping catalyze Massachusetts

4:06:54divestment of public funds from South

4:06:56Africa.

4:07:00Um, however, we cannot claim to stand

4:07:03for human rights while our dollars

4:07:04weaponize those who continue to violate

4:07:06them. The city has the power to bring

4:07:08our spending into alignment with our

4:07:10values. Again, I urge the city to honor

4:07:12Cambridge's legacy and vote in favor of

4:07:14divestment. Thank you.

4:07:17>> Our next speaker is Josia or Josiah De

4:07:20Chiara, followed by Layla Elzuby, then

4:07:23Alan Meyers.

4:07:26Josiah or Josia, please go ahead.

4:07:32>> Hello. My name is Josia De Chiara and

4:07:34I'm a Jewish Cambridge Public Schools

4:07:36educator speaking in favor of policy

4:07:38order seven and eight.

4:07:39Last year, one of my sixth grade

4:07:40students asked me why the United States

4:07:42was not sending humanitarian aid to the

4:07:45people in Palestine. I shivered.

4:07:47It is hard to explain to a sixth grader

4:07:49that for the past 75 years, it has been

4:07:51American tax dollars, including these 28

4:07:53million dollars in Cambridge's

4:07:54investments, that fund the weapons

4:07:56manufacturers who enforce the apartheid

4:07:58state of Israel.

4:08:00Divesting our money for military support

4:08:02to a nation state is not anti-Semitic.

4:08:04It is anti-colonial.

4:08:05The Zionist project is weaponizing

4:08:07Jewish history to perpetuate harm on

4:08:09another group of people.

4:08:11We must call this what it really is and

4:08:14use critical thinking skills that we

4:08:15teach our students to see through that

4:08:17myth. It is anti-Arab racism.

4:08:20It is our responsibility to model for

4:08:21our young people what it looks like to

4:08:23speak up and take action when you see

4:08:24injustice. Be it racism in the

4:08:26classroom, be it affordable housing

4:08:28crisis, or Cambridge residents paying

4:08:30for bombs.

4:08:31Let us follow in the steps of our

4:08:32Massachusetts predecessors and stand on

4:08:34the right side of history.

4:08:36>> Our next speaker is Layla Elzuby,

4:08:38followed by Alan Meyers, then Susan

4:08:41Markowitz. Layla,

4:08:43please go ahead.

4:08:46>> Hi, I'm Layla Elzuby.

4:08:49As an MD JD at Harvard, let me speak in

4:08:52the language of both.

4:08:55Physicians for Human Rights Israel found

4:08:57that Israel destroyed Gaza's healthcare

4:09:00in a quote, "in a manner that is both

4:09:02calculated and systemic."

4:09:04Doctors Without Borders says Israel is

4:09:07committing genocide and that governments

4:09:09who arm it or stay silent are complicit.

4:09:12The world's genocide scholars declared

4:09:15it meets the legal definition of

4:09:18genocide. And Omar Bartov, one of the

4:09:21world's leading Holocaust and genocide

4:09:24scholars, an Israeli who served four

4:09:27years in the IDF, says Israel is trying

4:09:30to wipe out Palestinian existence in

4:09:32Gaza. He calls it a deliberate strategy

4:09:35of genocide. And says that the United

4:09:39States is totally complicit. Doctors,

4:09:41scholars, Israelis, they are not

4:09:43confused, and neither should we be. When

4:09:46our community is being murdered, we do

4:09:47not call it complicated. We do not

4:09:49>> Thank you. Your time has expired. Please

4:09:51send us the rest. Our next speaker, we

4:09:53are at speaker number 208, Alan Myers,

4:09:57followed by Susan Markowitz, then

4:09:59Barbara Bradley. Alan, 1 minute.

4:10:03>> My name is Alan Myers. I live at Amory

4:10:05Street, Cambridge, and have lived in

4:10:06Cambridge for 49 years. Addressing

4:10:08policy order seven, I'm a retired

4:10:10pediatrician, and I want to offer one

4:10:12example of the cruel inhumanity of the

4:10:14Israeli regime. In October 2007, I was

4:10:17seeing patients in the West Bank with

4:10:19the Jewish Voice for Peace Health and

4:10:20Human Rights delegation, when I met

4:10:22Muhammad Khalil, pictured here. He was

4:10:2512 years old, weighed about 50 lb, was

4:10:27blind and profoundly developmentally

4:10:29delayed. His mother granted me

4:10:31permission to share his picture and

4:10:32story.

4:10:33In labor, en route to the hospital to

4:10:35deliver, she was refused passage by the

4:10:37Israeli military at the Qalandia

4:10:39checkpoint. After laboring for 5 hours,

4:10:41she delivered there. The infant choked

4:10:43and turned blue. It took 2 hours before

4:10:45an ambulance was able to transport them

4:10:47to the hospital, where he was

4:10:48resuscitated. Now, his mother spends

4:10:50most of her time and money caring for

4:10:52him. No one was ever held accountable

4:10:55because Palestinians living under

4:10:56Israeli military occupation are people

4:10:59denied their basic human rights.

4:11:02>> Our next speaker is Susan Markowitz,

4:11:05followed by Barbara Bradley, then

4:11:07Phyllis Bretholtz.

4:11:08Susan?

4:11:15Susan has not joined us. We will go to

4:11:18Barbara Bradley.

4:11:25Barbara is not here or on Zoom. We will

4:11:28go to Phyllis Bretholtz, speaker number

4:11:30211, followed by Richard Solomon, then

4:11:33Isabella Liederbach. Phyllis, please go

4:11:36ahead.

4:11:38>> Thank you.

4:11:40Um I'm Phyllis Bretholtz. I live on

4:11:42Antrim Street. I'm a member of the

4:11:44Jewish Voice for Peace and for

4:11:47Water Alliance for Justice in Palestine.

4:11:50Please do vote in favor of divestment

4:11:54from all of our money going to

4:11:57companies that support Israel. Cambridge

4:12:00has a proud history of standing up for

4:12:02justice dating back most notably when

4:12:05the city stood up for um South Africa.

4:12:09The Nobel Peace Prize for 2026

4:12:12was given to Navi Pillay, the South

4:12:14African jurist who recently led the

4:12:17United Nations Commission that concluded

4:12:20Israel committed genocide against

4:12:22Palestinians in Gaza.

4:12:24As a Jew, I am horrified at Israel's

4:12:28genocide and feel that Israel has been

4:12:31doing more by this genocide to promote

4:12:35anti-Semitism than any other single

4:12:38group or action.

4:12:40>> Thank you. Please email us the remainder

4:12:42of your comment.

4:12:44We will go to Richard Solomon, followed

4:12:46by Isabella Liederbach, then Jessica Van

4:12:49Meer. Richard, please go ahead, 1

4:12:51minute.

4:12:52>> Hi, I'm Richard, uh Cambridge resident

4:12:54for the past 3 years. I work at MIT. I'm

4:12:56in DSA. Um I think you need to vote for

4:12:59divestment. This is

4:13:01uh my host brother.

4:13:02Uh he stayed at my family's house for

4:13:04several months to get a prosthetic limb

4:13:07because the Israeli military shot off

4:13:08his leg at the protest that he was at, a

4:13:11peaceful protest. He got his leg back

4:13:13and a synthetic

4:13:15you know, synthetic one. Went back to

4:13:16Gaza, got married. Told my mom, you

4:13:19know, wherever I am you'll always be my

4:13:21second mother.

4:13:23Two years ago he was killed in Israeli

4:13:25air strikes along with his elderly

4:13:27parents and his brother.

4:13:29Okay, this is his youngest child, Hala.

4:13:32She's still alive and she lives in a

4:13:34refugee camp

4:13:36with dysentery outbreaks, mosquitoes,

4:13:38all kinds of things. It's really

4:13:39important for all of you all to vote for

4:13:42a divestment cuz that's the best chance

4:13:43we have to keep people like this alive.

4:13:46It's to send a bold message and I'm

4:13:47talking especially to counselors Tim,

4:13:50Denise, Patty and others.

4:13:52>> Please just address me through

4:13:54through the chair, please.

4:13:55Our next speaker is Isabella Leaderbauch

4:13:59followed by Jessica Van Meer, then

4:14:02Rachel Misselman. Isabella.

4:14:05>> Hello, my name is Isabella Leaderbauch

4:14:07and as a Cambridge resident and city

4:14:09employee, I urge the city to pass this

4:14:11divestment policy order seven and eight.

4:14:14As a mental health professional

4:14:17who works with children, I am deeply

4:14:18concerned about the lasting effects of

4:14:20the genocide of Palestinians for

4:14:22generations to come.

4:14:23In 1980, Cambridge divested from

4:14:25apartheid in South Africa and in 2021,

4:14:28City Council voted to keep city funds

4:14:30out of fossil fuels and private prisons.

4:14:32Our tax dollars fund 3.8 billion in

4:14:35military aid to Israel and it is time

4:14:37for Cambridge to take action to divest

4:14:39city funds from companies that are

4:14:41active agents in the ongoing genocide of

4:14:43Palestinians. Thank you.

4:14:46>> Our next speaker is Jessica Van Meer

4:14:48followed by Rachel

4:14:51Misselman then Alan Wang.

4:14:53Jessica.

4:14:57Jessica is not with us. We will go to

4:14:59Rachel Meiselman or Misselman.

4:15:09Rachel is not here or on Zoom. We will

4:15:11go to Alan Wang followed by Mark Canter

4:15:16then Sarah Alzubi.

4:15:18>> [snorts]

4:15:22>> Alan, please go ahead.

4:15:24>> Hi, my name is Alan. I live in Cambridge

4:15:26Port and I'm here to speak in favor of

4:15:27divestment.

4:15:29The goal of this policy order is to

4:15:30ensure that the city of Cambridge will

4:15:33not continue to invest in companies

4:15:34which profit from manufacturing and

4:15:36selling the bombs, drones, and AI

4:15:38software targeting systems that have

4:15:40killed over 20,000 children in Gaza and

4:15:43injured over 40,000 more in the past 4

4:15:45years.

4:15:46To say that continuing continuing to

4:15:48speak to seek a return in investment

4:15:50from companies like Palantir and

4:15:52Lockheed Martin which make their money

4:15:54from the bombing of Palestinian children

4:15:56is required for the safety and

4:15:58well-being of Cambridge residents is

4:15:59completely ridiculous. To say that the

4:16:01unity of our city requires us to

4:16:04continue maintaining an investment in

4:16:07genocide is completely ridiculous.

4:16:10Please, I urge the city council to pass

4:16:12this resolution. Thank you.

4:16:14>> Our next speaker is Mark Canter followed

4:16:16by Sarah Alzubi then Denise Bergman.

4:16:20Mark?

4:16:24Mark has not joined us. We will go to

4:16:25Sarah Alzubi, Denise Bergman, then

4:16:28Hubert Murray. Sarah, please go ahead.

4:16:33>> We are told that Palestine is too

4:16:35political for city government, but our

4:16:36money is political. Our investments in

4:16:39these terror organizations and companies

4:16:41is political. These companies create a

4:16:43thing called fragmentation sleeves that

4:16:47practically makes their weapons so

4:16:48deadly that not only does it cause a

4:16:51small wound, it enters the body and it

4:16:53shreds bones. It shreds organs of

4:16:56Palestinians, including children.

4:17:00I'm a Harvard-trained physician, so

4:17:01somewhat have a brain. I believe that

4:17:03human life and every human life is worth

4:17:06protecting and that must not exclude

4:17:09Palestinians. If the roles were

4:17:11reversed, if your people lived under

4:17:12occupation and apartheid, if your

4:17:14families were killed by weapons made to

4:17:15shred bones, would you be sitting here

4:17:18discussing whether these companies

4:17:20should be divested from? I would not. If

4:17:23these principles only extend to your

4:17:25people, they aren't principles, they are

4:17:27privileges.

4:17:28The city cannot solve every injustice,

4:17:30but it can take responsibility for its

4:17:32own investments. If a city can invest,

4:17:35it can must

4:17:36>> Sarah, your time has expired. Please

4:17:37send us the rest. We will go to Denise

4:17:39Bergman, followed by Hubert Murray, then

4:17:42Hannah G. Denise, please go ahead. You

4:17:45have 1 minute.

4:17:48>> Denise Bergman, I lived here for 50

4:17:51years.

4:17:52We simply cannot be complicit.

4:17:56Since October 2023 in Gaza, Israel

4:17:59killed nearly 22,000

4:18:02Palestinian children. That equals all

4:18:06the kids in Cambridge and Somerville.

4:18:09That's one child every 71 minutes, which

4:18:13equals three dead kids during tonight's

4:18:16meeting.

4:18:1872,000

4:18:20children are now orphans, nearly all the

4:18:23kids in Cambridge, Somerville,

4:18:25Worcester, and Chelsea.

4:18:28Israel has displaced 1.9 million people,

4:18:33equaling all of Manhattan, Somerville,

4:18:36and Providence.

4:18:39We must divest.

4:18:42Thank you.

4:18:44>> We're moving on to speaker number 220,

4:18:48Hubert Murray, followed by Hannah G,

4:18:50then Benjamin Batorsky. Hubert, please

4:18:53go ahead. 1 minute.

4:19:00Hubert is not in the room, not on Zoom.

4:19:02We will go to Hannah G.

4:19:15Hannah is not here. We will go to

4:19:16Benjamin Batorsky.

4:19:21Benjamin, you have 1 minute. Please go

4:19:23ahead.

4:19:31Benjamin, if you can unmute yourself,

4:19:32you have the floor.

4:19:40Benjamin is not unmuting. We're going to

4:19:42move to George Davis.

4:20:01George, if you can unmute yourself.

4:20:04>> Good evening. Can you hear me?

4:20:07>> We can. Please go ahead.

4:20:09>> Good evening. My name is Getzel Davis.

4:20:10I'm speaking tonight as a Cambridge

4:20:12resident. I'm a rabbi and I've lived in

4:20:13Cambridge for 15 years.

4:20:15The city of Cambridge did not comment

4:20:17when swastikas appeared in Harvard

4:20:19Square. You did not comment when after

4:20:21October 7th, Cambridge residents stood

4:20:23in Harvard Square shouting Sieg Heil at

4:20:25people wearing kippahs.

4:20:26You did not comment when Jewish

4:20:28residents reported being harassed in our

4:20:29streets.

4:20:31I'm a rabbi and I'm teaching my son not

4:20:33to wear a kippah at the Baldwin School.

4:20:36I want him to be accepted there. I want

4:20:38him to pass.

4:20:40But this

4:20:41this is worth commenting on.

4:20:43Tonight you will hear speaker after

4:20:45speaker and have many of them speaking

4:20:47with great force.

4:20:48Whose words erase our our experience and

4:20:51our pain, do not mistake those numbers

4:20:54as a reason to vote yes.

4:20:56The vast majority of people who are

4:20:58speaking so angrily, they show you how

4:21:01alone Jews are. They show why you need

4:21:03to protect us. A vote like this makes

4:21:05our city less safe for us and our

4:21:06families and I'm asking you to vote

4:21:09>> Our next speaker, actually we're going

4:21:10to go back to Benjamin Bartosky,

4:21:14Batorsky, sorry, who has joined us now.

4:21:16Benjamin, please go ahead. You have 1

4:21:18minute.

4:21:20>> Hi, thanks very much. This is Ben

4:21:22Batorsky. I live in Ellsworth Avenue. Uh

4:21:25yeah, a new Cambridge resident. Um I'm

4:21:27speaking in favor of policy order 7 and

4:21:308. Um I just like to see the city

4:21:33uh

4:21:34be on the right side of history here.

4:21:36Um I think we should not be paying our

4:21:38tax dollars flying into the pockets of

4:21:41weapons manufacturers, particularly

4:21:43those that are supporting a genocide uh

4:21:45that is going on um in uh Gaza.

4:21:48Um yeah, so please support that. Uh

4:21:51thank you very much.

4:21:53>> Our next speaker, we're going to go back

4:21:55to Jessica Van Meer.

4:21:58Jessica, please go ahead. You have the

4:22:00floor. 1 minute.

4:22:01>> Hello, can you hear me?

4:22:02>> We can.

4:22:04>> Great. Hi, my name is Jessica Van Meer.

4:22:07Um I have lived, worked, and studied in

4:22:08Cambridge on and off for 5 years, and

4:22:11I'm speaking strongly in favor. Um I

4:22:14have heard some of the opponents tonight

4:22:16um

4:22:17ask why Israel is being singled out and

4:22:20why we aren't calling for uh similar

4:22:22measures in countries that are

4:22:24committing genocides like Sudan. Well,

4:22:26there's a very clear and obvious

4:22:27difference, which is that our tax

4:22:30dollars are not invested in Sudanese

4:22:32companies, and if they were, I would

4:22:34also be here speaking in favor of

4:22:36divesting from those companies. Um even

4:22:39if there were not a genocide happening

4:22:41in Palestine, I would still not want our

4:22:43dollars to be invested in arms

4:22:45companies. Um I think that this is a

4:22:49measure for human rights even regardless

4:22:51of the specific situation in Palestine.

4:22:55Um

4:22:56I also uh think many people here

4:22:59probably share the experience of

4:23:01watching videos of the horrors happening

4:23:04in Palestine and feeling helpless to do

4:23:06anything about it. We've seen that

4:23:08Israel has not responded to um cries for

4:23:12human rights, and the only way to get

4:23:14them to respond is through changing the

4:23:17economics and forcing them to do

4:23:19something different. So, please do the

4:23:20right thing and vote yes.

4:23:23>> We're going to go back to one more skip

4:23:24speaker, AJ Turnatour.

4:23:27AJ, please, if you can unmute yourself,

4:23:29you have the floor.

4:23:33>> Good evening. My name's AJ Turnatour. I

4:23:35work in Cambridge. I'm going to be

4:23:37making a statement for Together for an

4:23:39Inclusive Massachusetts, which is a

4:23:41group of over 40 Jewish, Muslim, labor,

4:23:45education, student, civil rights, and

4:23:48other organizations, and thousands of

4:23:50individuals across Massachusetts.

4:23:53We recognize the harm done to

4:23:54individuals and communities by

4:23:56anti-Semitism. We believe that it's

4:23:58essential to address anti-Semitism and

4:24:00to respect civil rights. We reject

4:24:02partisan efforts to silence or

4:24:04marginalize Jewish people who are

4:24:07critical of Israel or to re- redefine

4:24:09anti-Semitism in a way that harms

4:24:11Palestinians.

4:24:13We urge the council to listen fairly to

4:24:15supporters of policy orders 7 and 8, and

4:24:18dismiss any weapon weaponized

4:24:20allegations of anti-Semitism directed at

4:24:22them. Such spacious blanket claims

4:24:25designed to undermine the legitimacy of

4:24:27their positions

4:24:28are highly partisan nature and do not

4:24:30represent a consensus view held by all

4:24:33Jewish residents of Massachusetts. Thank

4:24:35you.

4:24:37>> We will go back to the list in order. We

4:24:39were at 224, James Hirsch, followed by

4:24:43Mason Shepherd, then Emma Rappaport.

4:24:46James, you have the floor. Please go

4:24:49ahead. You have 1 minute.

4:24:52>> I'm James and I'm a proud lifelong

4:24:54resident of Cambridge. Please vote no on

4:24:57policy orders 195 and 196. I grew up on

4:25:01the fields and playgrounds of Cambridge

4:25:02enjoying friends of different religious

4:25:04backgrounds and family histories. I was

4:25:06raised on Cambridge's egalitarianism and

4:25:09pluralism. We all grow and benefit from

4:25:11it. These policy orders will only divide

4:25:14our city. The city council is not the

4:25:16appropriate forum to decide complex

4:25:18international issues.

4:25:20It is not right to particularize any

4:25:23single country. BDS against only Israel

4:25:26is anti-Semitic.

4:25:28My family members have been beaten in

4:25:30need because of the religion, for being

4:25:31Jewish. My friends and I are afraid of

4:25:34wearing kippahs in Cambridge. We hide

4:25:36our religion under baseball caps.

4:25:38These orders will only set neighbor

4:25:40against neighbor. They single out

4:25:42residents based on national origin and

4:25:43religious belief. They will incite

4:25:45violence against one group of vulnerable

4:25:48people.

4:25:49I ask you to keep all of Cambridge safe.

4:25:51Please advance peace. Vote no.

4:25:57>> Our next speaker is Mason Shepherd,

4:25:59followed by Emma Rappaport, then Michael

4:26:02Burstein.

4:26:04Mason?

4:26:11Mason has not joined us. We will go to

4:26:14an earlier skip. Uh Rachel Meisel Oh,

4:26:17sorry. Here we go. Mason.

4:26:19Please go ahead.

4:26:24>> My My is Mason Shepherd.

4:26:26I'm a resident on Main Street,

4:26:28Cambridge.

4:26:29And I work as an organizer with the MIT

4:26:31graduate students union.

4:26:33Uh I am

4:26:35speaking as a Jewish constituent

4:26:39of the council

4:26:42and demanding that councilors vote

4:26:45yes

4:26:46to divest

4:26:49Cambridge taxpayers from

4:26:51the genocide and apartheid of

4:26:52Palestinians.

4:26:57I had other comments prepared, but what

4:26:59I really want to say is

4:27:02you've heard a lot of Jews speak

4:27:04on one side, on the other.

4:27:07And frankly, I am sick

4:27:10of

4:27:11my people being used as a political

4:27:13football in

4:27:15the game of empire.

4:27:17Um if you follow the money, it is very

4:27:19clear what Zionism is.

4:27:22What the project of Israel is.

4:27:25It is a

4:27:27US evangelical funded

4:27:29Christian crusade

4:27:32seeking to genocide

4:27:35>> Thank you. Please email us the remainder

4:27:37of your comment. Our next speaker is

4:27:39Rachel Maiselmen, followed by

4:27:43Emma Rapport, Michael Burstein, then

4:27:46Rachel B.

4:27:50>> Hello. My name is Rachel Maiselmen.

4:27:54And I would like to thank the Cambridge

4:27:57City Council and Mayor Siddiqui for the

4:28:00opportunity to speak on this critical

4:28:02issue.

4:28:04I am a proud Jew.

4:28:07And I am a proud Zionist.

4:28:09I oppose policy orders seven and eight.

4:28:13And I humbly

4:28:15and respectfully

4:28:18ask the good men and women of the

4:28:20council not to adopt these orders.

4:28:24I have the absolute privilege of doing

4:28:27my undergraduate work in this

4:28:28magnificent city.

4:28:31At that time,

4:28:33I explored my faith and culture

4:28:37freely.

4:28:39I even considered becoming a rabbi.

4:28:45With that in mind,

4:28:47I'm going to ask you do not allow one

4:28:49group BDS to determine the direction and

4:28:52the boundaries of conversation in

4:28:54Cambridge.

4:28:55>> Thank you, Rachel. Please send us the

4:28:56remainder of your comment. Our next

4:28:58speaker is Emma Rappaport followed by

4:29:01Michael Burstein, then Rachel B. We're

4:29:03at speaker number 226. Emma, please

4:29:08come to the mic. You have 1 minute.

4:29:13Emma has not joined us. We will go to

4:29:14Michael Burstein.

4:29:16Michael,

4:29:18you have 1 minute. Please go ahead.

4:29:23>> Thank you. My name is Michael Burstein.

4:29:26I live in Brookline.

4:29:28I lived in Cambridge for 4 years and I

4:29:32routinely go shopping at Harvard Square

4:29:34at least once a week.

4:29:36I'm

4:29:38also a member of Brookline Town Meeting,

4:29:40which I guess is sort of at the same

4:29:41level as the Cambridge City Council.

4:29:44And we discovered a few years ago that

4:29:47issues such as this one that's being

4:29:49discussed are very divisive

4:29:53to the community at large.

4:29:56No matter what kind of support you find

4:29:59for resolutions or policies such as

4:30:01these, you also, as I think you've

4:30:03discovered tonight, find a lot of people

4:30:06who are made very uncomfortable by these

4:30:08same policies.

4:30:10I would encourage the Cambridge City

4:30:12Council to take this into account and to

4:30:16not vote in favor of these policies.

4:30:18Thank you.

4:30:19>> Our next speaker is Rachel B followed by

4:30:23Renee Cassinsky, then John Pielmeier.

4:30:26Rachel, 1 minute.

4:30:28>> Hi, my name is Rachel and I've lived in

4:30:30Cambridge for 5 years. I'm frustrated

4:30:33that I have to give this comment in the

4:30:34first place to convince you to divest my

4:30:36tax dollars from Israel's genocide of

4:30:38Palestine. It's ridiculous that we have

4:30:40to argue this much and that there are

4:30:42counselors still on the fence to stop

4:30:44investing our tax dollars into total

4:30:46companies. We have a chance to put an

4:30:49end to our city's complicity in genocide

4:30:51with no real consequence to our own

4:30:53lives. Counselors, stand up if you would

4:30:56like to be treated like a Palestinian.

4:30:58Tasered and beaten until your bloody and

4:31:01unconscious. Fear that a sniper may

4:31:03shoot your family in the head, shoot you

4:31:05in the head. Fear going grocery

4:31:07shopping, bomb your home so severely

4:31:10that your body is vaporized and there's

4:31:12not even a bone left as proof that you

4:31:14were alive. Stand up if you want to fund

4:31:16that and don't be shy.

4:31:19We must name Israel and Palestine in

4:31:21this ordinance and we must do the least

4:31:23we can to stop this genocide. Free

4:31:25Palestine and make the one bus free

4:31:27while you're at it. Thank you.

4:31:30>> So,

4:31:31folks, again, no

4:31:34we're getting through this so just

4:31:35>> My name is Renee Cassinsky.

4:31:37>> I'm I'm sorry, we have to it's 10 p.m.

4:31:39So, we

4:31:40one just moment one moment. We have

4:31:43about 123 speakers left. Um and it is 10

4:31:46p.m. So, per our rules, we will have to

4:31:48do a roll call on extending the meeting.

4:31:51>> Point of order.

4:31:52>> Yes, Counselor Simmons, state your

4:31:53point.

4:31:54>> Thank you, ma'am.

4:31:55It is 10:00. So, we I I believe and I

4:31:58would have to ask the solicitor for

4:31:59confirmation, we would have had to

4:32:01extend the meeting before 10:00. It is

4:32:04now after 10:00.

4:32:06>> So, someone was

4:32:08>> No, what I'm saying is

4:32:09>> speaking and so I I think it's within

4:32:11the rules to allow people

4:32:13>> from the I would like to hear from the

4:32:14solicitor.

4:32:15Cuz I I disagree.

4:32:20>> No, I mean I I it's this is

4:32:22I'm the presiding officer and I will say

4:32:25that we can see if we can get the

4:32:26solicitor right now, but I would say

4:32:28that the goal of this meeting was to get

4:32:30through public comment.

4:32:32>> Oh, and I would I agree.

4:32:34Uh you were very good very earlier when

4:32:36the rules were being breached and you

4:32:38held firm and I would respectfully ask

4:32:41that we do the same. It's not anyone's

4:32:43fault that someone wasn't you know, you

4:32:45could have easily cuz we've done it

4:32:47before asked the person to pause so that

4:32:50you could extend the rules and you could

4:32:51extended the rules at 9:45 cuz you knew

4:32:54it's going to go past 10:00 and we

4:32:55didn't do that. So, I would like to hear

4:32:57from the solicitor. That's all I'm

4:32:59saying.

4:33:00>> If we can't hear from the solicitor, I

4:33:01will still go ahead and move my motion

4:33:04to extend the meeting.

4:33:07>> I I and I question I just please have

4:33:10the record show that I question the

4:33:11ruling of the chair.

4:33:13>> Sure.

4:33:14Yes, Vice Mayor.

4:33:15>> Uh could we extend it to 1:00 a.m. or

4:33:18when would you extend it till?

4:33:19>> We can No clapping. Click If you want to

4:33:22click, click outside.

4:33:24Folks, as I said in the beginning, we're

4:33:26just we're trying to get through this

4:33:28meeting. Please adhere to the rules of

4:33:30courtesy.

4:33:32And city solicitor is on her way.

4:34:12>> I thank you, too, Madam Mayor.

4:34:14I believe it's within the chair's

4:34:16discretion if it is close enough to

4:34:1910:00 and what the rule says is it

4:34:20continues until the meeting is done or

4:34:23until it recesses at 10:00, which

4:34:25implies that the chair's

4:34:27discretion to call a recess or to vote

4:34:30to continue.

4:34:32>> So,

4:34:34as I said, I was we were waiting for

4:34:36someone to finish public comment.

4:34:38I'm moving that we do a roll call on an

4:34:40extending the meeting.

4:34:43And so, we'll go ahead and proceed with

4:34:44the roll call.

4:34:46>> Councilor Alzubi.

4:34:47>> Yes.

4:34:48>> Yes. Vice Mayor Azim.

4:34:49>> Yes.

4:34:49>> Yes. Councilor Flaherty.

4:34:52>> No.

4:34:53>> No. Councilor McGovern.

4:34:55>> Yes.

4:34:55>> Yes. Councilor Nolan.

4:34:56>> Yes.

4:34:57>> Yes. Councilor Simmons.

4:34:58>> No.

4:34:59>> No. Councilor Sabrina Wheeler.

4:35:01>> Yes.

4:35:01>> Yes. Councilor Zuse.

4:35:03>> Yes.

4:35:03>> Yes. Mayor Siddiqui.

4:35:04>> Yes.

4:35:05>> Yes. You have seven members recorded in

4:35:06the affirmative and two recorded in the

4:35:08negative.

4:35:09>> We'll continue with public comment.

4:35:11Thank you. Our next speaker

4:35:13>> Vote.

4:35:14>> [applause]

4:35:14>> Vote.

4:35:15>> Madam Mayor.

4:35:16>> As I said earlier,

4:35:19we are not clapping, okay? We do not

4:35:22want people to they have opinions

4:35:26to feel intimidated and then also no

4:35:29clapping because we're trying to get

4:35:30through this meeting. So, there's rules

4:35:31of courtesy. So,

4:35:33I'm I we just really need to get through

4:35:35this public comment.

4:35:36>> Madam Mayor.

4:35:38>> Councilor Simmons.

4:35:38>> Thank you, Madam Mayor. I believe in

4:35:40public process, but I if if that happens

4:35:43again, I will move that you clear the

4:35:44chamber and we can continue meet the

4:35:47meeting, but you'll have to stand

4:35:48outside. I'm not going to have I'm not

4:35:50going to have people terrorizing me or

4:35:52other people

4:35:53for exercising what they believe may be

4:35:55appropriate.

4:35:57So, that's I just I want to have the

4:35:59record show that.

4:36:01>> Our next speaker

4:36:02is

4:36:03>> Our next speaker is Renee Cassinsky to

4:36:06be followed by John Peelmeier, Ian Bass,

4:36:10then Suzanne Blier. Renee, please go

4:36:12ahead. You have 1 minute.

4:36:13>> I'm Renee Cassinsky, a long time member

4:36:16of Cambridge community and a member of

4:36:18the Boston Workers Circle.

4:36:21A 100-year-old organization.

4:36:25Um, we've all witnessed Israel

4:36:28committing crimes of genocide and crimes

4:36:31against humanity in real time over the

4:36:34last 3 years and still going.

4:36:39Um, the US government has continuously

4:36:42supplied Israel with trillions of

4:36:45dollars and weapons used to commit these

4:36:48war crimes.

4:36:50Now, Cambridge is also complicit, we

4:36:53find, in its investments and contracts

4:36:57with investors like Palantir. Complicit

4:37:01in genocide.

4:37:03Historically, I was involved in 1980 in

4:37:07this very chamber when Cambridge went on

4:37:10record for

4:37:12its vote divesting from South African

4:37:16companies.

4:37:17>> Thank you, Renee. That's your time.

4:37:19Please email us the remainder.

4:37:21>> Our next speaker is speaker number 230,

4:37:25John Peelmeier,

4:37:27followed by Ian Bass, Suzanne Blier,

4:37:30then Ronald Lavelle. John, please go

4:37:33ahead.

4:37:34>> Hi. Hello, I'm John Peelmeier. Thanks

4:37:36for pronouncing my name right. Thank

4:37:38you, Denise, for joining us.

4:37:40Um, I live in Inman Square, Cambridge,

4:37:43and I've been part of the peace movement

4:37:45for over a decade in Massachusetts.

4:37:47>> [snorts]

4:37:48>> I love all of humanity and because of

4:37:49that, I oppose the Israeli government

4:37:51and their colonialist, racist war crimes

4:37:53against the Palestinians, as well as

4:37:55many other neighboring Arab lands in the

4:37:57Middle East. They are making our Jewish

4:37:59and Islamic communities of friends feel

4:38:02unsafe. They're committing these

4:38:03atrocities in the middle

4:38:05Middle East and US government is at the

4:38:07forefront of these wars over control of

4:38:09this earth's natural resources. Let's

4:38:12stop refunding wars. I grew up Christian

4:38:14and learned very little about other

4:38:16religions. I never learned anything

4:38:17about the need to ethically cleanse the

4:38:19land of for selfish gain.

4:38:21I vote yes for divestment and

4:38:25we need to divest from these companies

4:38:26sending weapons to war

4:38:29regardless of where it's at. If we're

4:38:31invested in it, we should not be

4:38:32invested in it.

4:38:34Please divest the minuscule $28 million

4:38:37portion of city investments portfolio.

4:38:39>> send us the rest.

4:38:40>> it in the 80s.

4:38:41>> We will go to Ian Bass followed by

4:38:44Suzanne Bouyea, then Ronald Lovell.

4:38:47Ian?

4:38:51Ian has not joined. We will move on to

4:38:54Suzanne Bouyea.

4:38:59Suzanne is not in the zoom. We will go

4:39:01to Ronald Lovell.

4:39:07Ronald has not joined us. Chris Glover?

4:39:13Chris, if you can unmute yourself, you

4:39:14have the floor. Please

4:39:17please go ahead.

4:39:20>> Uh good evening, counselors.

4:39:23Uh my name is Chris Glover. Uh I work in

4:39:26Kendall Square and I'm speaking in

4:39:27support of policy 7 and 8 for divestment

4:39:29from and boycott of companies complicit

4:39:32in Israel's occupation, apartheid, and

4:39:34genocide in Palestine.

4:39:35Uh as we all know, Cambridge is the main

4:39:37technology hub in New England and draws

4:39:39great uh minds from across the globe to

4:39:41live in, work in, and contribute to our

4:39:43great community. As such, I believe that

4:39:45our city has an obligation to

4:39:47demonstrate that we stand on the right

4:39:48side of history and against the ongoing

4:39:50genocide in Palestine perpetrated at the

4:39:52state by the state of Israel.

4:39:54Uh investment in companies supporting

4:39:55the Israel military serves to tarnish

4:39:57our city's image as a home for human

4:39:59advancement and alienate potential

4:40:01incoming innovators who stand with

4:40:03Palestinians and their right to basic

4:40:04human dignity.

4:40:05The US has been a long-time contributor

4:40:07to Israel's crimes against Palestine and

4:40:08its neighbors in the Middle East.

4:40:10Cambridge law uh Cambridge now has an

4:40:12opportunity to join the growing sea of

4:40:14American voices saying enough is enough.

4:40:16Um thank you.

4:40:18>> Our next speaker is Robert Lakind

4:40:20followed by

4:40:23Laura Sear then Sharon Ophir.

4:40:26Robert?

4:40:27Or Rob?

4:40:30Rob has not joined. Laura Sear?

4:40:39Laura, if you can unmute yourself.

4:40:51We're going to go to speaker 237, Sharon

4:40:54Ophir.

4:41:00Sharon is not on Zoom.

4:41:02We will go to Rebecca Murray.

4:41:12We don't have Rebecca Murray. Stephen

4:41:14Miller.

4:41:21Aaron Nathenson?

4:41:31We don't have Aaron Nathenson. We will

4:41:34go to Ran Gilboa.

4:41:38Ran

4:41:39>> Hi.

4:41:39>> You have 1 minute.

4:41:40>> Thank you.

4:41:41Good evening. Uh my name is Ran Gilboa.

4:41:44I live in uh 14 U.S. Street.

4:41:48I I live in 14 New Street about and I'm

4:41:51going to speak about item seven and

4:41:52eight.

4:41:54I never been more hopeful than I am

4:41:58today.

4:41:59Uh I just returned from Israel last

4:42:02week. And in the past few months, my

4:42:05family got involved with ropes. Ropes is

4:42:09an organization that is working closely

4:42:12with Palestinians, Arabs from Jordan,

4:42:15and Iraq, Egypt, uh Lebanon and a few

4:42:19others. Uh we are working through

4:42:21education, economic cooperation, and

4:42:25environmental initiatives.

4:42:27And it's amazing.

4:42:29Um one of the participants, her name is

4:42:32Amani. She's a young Palestinian from

4:42:35East Jerusalem. By the way, Amani is

4:42:38wishes. And guys, I'm just telling you

4:42:42give up on this BDS nonsense. And if you

4:42:46would like to make an

4:42:47>> time has expired. Please

4:42:50email us the remainder of your time

4:42:52and feel free to email us the remainder.

4:42:54We're moving on to our next speaker. Our

4:42:56next speaker is Sarah Rosen, followed by

4:42:59Kathy Hoffman, then Jim Kaufman.

4:43:03Sarah, please go ahead. 1 minute.

4:43:06>> Hi, my name is Sarah Rosen. I live on

4:43:08Northwood Street by Seneca Park, and I'm

4:43:10asking you to vote against policy order

4:43:11seven and eight. Aside from the fact

4:43:14that this is not a clearly a majority

4:43:15supported effort, despite who has packed

4:43:17the chamber, it is not the job of City

4:43:19Council to prioritize foreign policy,

4:43:21but rather to serve the residents who

4:43:23live in the city and vote for you.

4:43:24Although many of the people sitting here

4:43:26do not.

4:43:27Um it's disingenuous to report that

4:43:29there is no correlation whatsoever

4:43:31between anti-Semitism and anti-Israel

4:43:33sentiment when since October 7th, the

4:43:35incidents of hate crimes against

4:43:37synagogues, Jewish schools, and

4:43:38cemeteries, including last year when a

4:43:40brick saying free Palestine was thrown

4:43:42through the window of a kosher grocery

4:43:44store in Brookline have increased.

4:43:47Like it or not, intended or not,

4:43:49um this signals to Jews that they are

4:43:51being singled out. Allowing orders like

4:43:53this to pass makes us feel intimidated

4:43:55and unsafe such as myself as a Jew and

4:43:57as an Israeli-American. These policy

4:44:00orders will not make any meaningful

4:44:01impact. It's just performative and

4:44:03virtue signaling and merely stirs up

4:44:05anger and divisiveness. Thank you.

4:44:07>> Our next speaker is Kathy Hoffman

4:44:09followed by Jim Kaufman then Robert

4:44:11Steinerman Robin Steinerman. Kathy

4:44:14please go ahead 1 minute.

4:44:16>> Thank you. I sent two long pieces

4:44:19already supporting the divestment

4:44:21resolution

4:44:23referencing Cambridge's history of

4:44:25justice-oriented local and global

4:44:27interventions.

4:44:29None of which really rise to the level

4:44:31of this genocide and ongoing

4:44:34state-sponsored violence.

4:44:36Five days ago

4:44:38my mother died on the cusp of turning 99

4:44:42at home in her apartment near Harvard

4:44:45Square surrounded by her four living

4:44:47children

4:44:49asking about Gaza frequently.

4:44:51I am able to mourn her death and

4:44:53celebrate a life lived in its fullness.

4:44:56I want to affirm that right for every

4:44:59person a full life ended surrounded by

4:45:02living members.

4:45:03This right has been denied Palestinians

4:45:06in Gaza and the West Bank for decades

4:45:08and decades but the current ongoing

4:45:10wanton destruction of life and

4:45:12livelihood is beyond human imagination

4:45:15and decency. Please stop using my

4:45:17pension and our taxes to pay for it.

4:45:21>> Our next speaker is Jim Kaufman followed

4:45:23by Robin Steinerman then Ayelet

4:45:26Livshits.

4:45:28Jim you have the floor please go ahead.

4:45:32>> Thank you.

4:45:34I'm Jim Kaufman of Dedham and a former

4:45:35resident of 29 conquered Avenue,

4:45:37Cambridge.

4:45:39I pray each day for the safety of

4:45:41innocent Israelis and Palestinians.

4:45:44I must tell you after 50 years as an

4:45:46investment professional, I can

4:45:48confidently say that a BDS restricted

4:45:50policy on investments will result in

4:45:53reduced pension fund performance.

4:45:56It will do nothing to advance the cause

4:45:58of peace,

4:45:59but will likely cause the funds to trail

4:46:01inflation to the great detriment of

4:46:03public employees ability to afford

4:46:05retirement.

4:46:06The contrary claims in the document are

4:46:08false arguments.

4:46:11I also fear for my safety and that of my

4:46:13co-religionists.

4:46:15In communities where people are told by

4:46:16their government that one of the

4:46:18foundational elements of our Judaism is

4:46:21illegitimate.

4:46:23You must understand that the BDS

4:46:25movement has always denied the existence

4:46:28of a Jewish homeland. Please defeat BDS

4:46:30policy orders 7 and 8. Thank you.

4:46:34>> Our next speaker is Rob- Robin

4:46:36Steinerman, followed by Eilat Lifshitz,

4:46:39then Giacomo Melia or Malia. Robin, 1

4:46:43minute. Please go ahead.

4:46:45>> My name is Robin. Much of my career has

4:46:47been spent in cancer research. I'm a

4:46:49resident of Cambridge, a volunteer

4:46:51election poll worker, a descendant of

4:46:53refugees who are forcibly kicked out of

4:46:55their home, and a leader of in several

4:46:58community organizations. And I refuse to

4:47:01let others define what my identity

4:47:03actually is.

4:47:05I disagree with many of the

4:47:08policies of the current Israeli

4:47:10government, and of course, I wish no

4:47:12harm to any innocent civilian anywhere.

4:47:16Similar to my many Israeli friends and

4:47:19family,

4:47:20but this policy is not what will solve

4:47:23the complex situation in the Middle

4:47:24East.

4:47:25I do not wear this debate as a costume.

4:47:28It is my everyday life and identity.

4:47:31I have seen the violence of this

4:47:33conflict in person with my own eyes.

4:47:37As a Holocaust educator and descendant

4:47:39of survivors, it is my duty to remind

4:47:42the city that the Holocaust did not

4:47:45start with the gas chambers.

4:47:47>> Thank you, Robin. Please send us the

4:47:48remainder of your comment. Again, as a

4:47:50reminder, please email us city council

4:47:53at cambridge.ma.gov,

4:47:55copy [email protected].

4:47:58We'll go to Isla Lishitz followed by

4:48:02Giacomo Mellia, then Lisa Mallman. We

4:48:06are at speaker number 246.

4:48:08Isla, you have 1 minute. Please go

4:48:10ahead.

4:48:14>> As both Jewish and Israeli woman, this

4:48:17policy order would impact me negatively.

4:48:19It is a clear statement that I do not

4:48:21belong in this community where I've

4:48:22lived for six out of the eight years I

4:48:24have been in the Boston area.

4:48:26Policy order 196 starts with The City of

4:48:29Cambridge is a welcoming community that

4:48:31does not support discrimination or

4:48:32violence anywhere in the world. Someone

4:48:35tonight said that Jewish Israelis

4:48:37committing

4:48:39Jewish Israelis are committing genocide,

4:48:41not all Jews. Does that mean me as an

4:48:44Israeli Jew?

4:48:46Being in such close proximity to Harvard

4:48:48University, there were weekends that I

4:48:50would hear anti-Israel and anti-Jewish

4:48:52hate from my apartment because it was so

4:48:54loud outside.

4:48:56Think about that in your own home not

4:48:58even having reprieve and feeling safe

4:49:00from the hate because people are allowed

4:49:02freedom of speech outside and it is so

4:49:04loud that it penetrates the brick walls

4:49:06of an apartment building. A vote for

4:49:08this policy order tells marginalized

4:49:10communities they are not welcome in

4:49:11Cambridge.

4:49:14>> Our next speaker is Giacomo Mellia

4:49:16followed by Lisa Mallman, then Douglas

4:49:20Crackower. Giacomo?

4:49:23>> Uh

4:49:24good evening. My name is Giacomo Mellia

4:49:26and I've lived in Porter Square my whole

4:49:28life. I am of Arab and Sicilian descent.

4:49:31I

4:49:32I would like you to vote yes on policy 7

4:49:35and 8. I support divesting our tax

4:49:38dollars from companies complicit in

4:49:40Israel's racist and expansionist

4:49:42policies, which have been ongoing for

4:49:44over 75 years. The proposed bill also

4:49:48puts pressure on said companies to

4:49:50divest from Israel in turn. These

4:49:53companies are owned by authoritarians

4:49:55and bigots, such as Peter Thiel, and not

4:49:57members of our community who are

4:49:59unfortunately experiencing

4:50:00anti-Semitism.

4:50:02There are other countries with similarly

4:50:04warmongering policy,

4:50:06which critics of 7 and 8 might point to

4:50:09say that Israel is being unfairly

4:50:11singled out. If there were a bill being

4:50:14passed which proposed to divest from

4:50:15companies complicit in Russia or

4:50:17Morocco's colonization project, I would

4:50:20support it as well. Further, um

4:50:22Good evening.

4:50:24>> Our next speaker is Lisa Molman,

4:50:27followed by

4:50:28Douglas Krakauer, then Margie Polster.

4:50:32Lisa, please go ahead. You have the

4:50:34floor, 1 minute.

4:50:35>> Yes, my name is Lisa Molman. I'm Jewish,

4:50:38and I live in Arlington, and I studied

4:50:41and worked and volunteered in Cambridge

4:50:42for over 20 years. And I urge you to

4:50:45reject policy order 7 and 8. You know, I

4:50:48was so stunned by what happened on

4:50:50October 7th, and I remember just walking

4:50:53in October October 8th just to clear my

4:50:55head just outside of City Hall. And I

4:50:58saw a young woman in a kaffiyeh with a

4:51:01big bullhorn reading a script from her

4:51:03phone.

4:51:04The Intifada started with a stick, and

4:51:06then the knife, then the gun, and now

4:51:09our martyrs use paragliders to overcome

4:51:11the oppressors. Long live the Intifada.

4:51:14Now we must be brave and bring the

4:51:16Intifada to Cambridge.

4:51:18And all the young people, the young

4:51:19students around cheered, and the crowd

4:51:21chanted with her after her, "Globalize

4:51:24the Intifada. Localize the Intifada."

4:51:26That was 1 day after October 7th, 2023.

4:51:291 day. The vilification of Israelis and

4:51:31Jews has not let up. A municipality

4:51:34should not be doing this, have a foreign

4:51:35policy. Please vote no. It's dividing

4:51:38our community and

4:51:40>> Our next speaker is Douglas Crackower,

4:51:42followed by Margie Polster, then Jeffrey

4:51:46Bryan.

4:51:47Douglas.

4:51:50Please unmute yourself. You have 1

4:51:52minute.

4:51:59>> I moved to Cambridge 19 years ago

4:52:01because it was a place that valued

4:52:03diversity, inclusion, and dialogue to

4:52:05make society a better place for all.

4:52:07Today, our community feels divided in so

4:52:10many ways, which weakens us all. We are

4:52:13always stronger together, even if people

4:52:15don't always agree on important issues.

4:52:17When we turn these issues into good

4:52:18versus evil, we close the door on the

4:52:21dialogue that we sorely need to remain

4:52:22united. If these orders are passed, they

4:52:25will further fracture the Cambridge

4:52:26community, but you have the power to

4:52:29heal us.

4:52:30Please reject agenda items 7 and 8. In

4:52:33the past 3 days alone, 650 people in

4:52:36Cambridge have signed a petition to

4:52:38reject these orders. You have ample

4:52:41support to protect your constituents and

4:52:43instead use your voice and power to

4:52:45foster dialogue. Cambridge can be a

4:52:47leader in fostering dialogue. That's

4:52:50what the City Council can do to make

4:52:53Cambridge and the world a better place.

4:52:55Keep us united. You have support to do

4:52:58this from your constituents. Thank you.

4:53:02>> We have reached speaker number 250.

4:53:05Margie Polster, followed by Jeffrey

4:53:07Bryan, then Hezi Barand.

4:53:12Margie, you have 1 minute. Please go

4:53:14ahead.

4:53:18>> My name is Margie Polster. I live in

4:53:20Somerville and I'm opposed to policy

4:53:23orders seven and eight.

4:53:26The genocide and apartheid accusations

4:53:29at the core of the ordinance are false.

4:53:33I know that many people here don't share

4:53:35my opinion, but unlike them, I'm not

4:53:38seeking to have my opinion codified into

4:53:41law.

4:53:42To treat a widely contested opinion as

4:53:45fact and to make it central to a law

4:53:49lends that opinion illegitimate

4:53:51authority and credibility,

4:53:54unfairly empowering it to to cause harm

4:53:58in all the ways already enumerated at

4:54:01this hearing.

4:54:03I ask you not to turn libel against the

4:54:06Jewish state

4:54:07into law.

4:54:09Thank you.

4:54:11>> Our next speaker is Jeffrey Bryan,

4:54:14followed by Hezi Brand, then Laura

4:54:16Belushi.

4:54:25Jeffrey has not joined. We will go to

4:54:27Hezi Brand.

4:54:33Hezi has not joined us. We will go to

4:54:35Laura Belushi.

4:54:44Laura, if you can unmute yourself.

4:54:57We will go to Samantha Nelson.

4:55:02Samantha, you have the floor. 1 minute.

4:55:04Please go ahead.

4:55:08>> Hi, my name is Samantha Nelson. I am a

4:55:10resident of Cambridge and I am speaking

4:55:12in support of the policy orders 7 and 8.

4:55:15The systemic destruction of Palestine

4:55:17and the killing of its people is

4:55:18happening in plain view.

4:55:19Google Earth images show huge lots of

4:55:22Gaza raised to the ground, and videos on

4:55:24social media showcase the immense human

4:55:26suffering.

4:55:27It is one of, if not the most severe,

4:55:29humanitarian crisis in our time.

4:55:31Future generations will ask, as we ask

4:55:33about the genocide of Native Americans

4:55:35and the Holocaust, "Why didn't people do

4:55:37more to stop it?" We have no excuse for

4:55:39not doing what we can.

4:55:41Antisemitism is disgusting, but holding

4:55:43Israel accountable for its war crimes

4:55:45and illegal settlements is not

4:55:48anti-Semitic not antisemitism, and

4:55:51conflating the two is wrong.

4:55:53These policy orders are extremely

4:55:54well-researched, reasonable, and

4:55:56supported by past actions that the

4:55:57council took to divest from apartheid

4:55:59South Africa. I'm disgusted to know how

4:56:02much of my taxes are going towards

4:56:03killing Palestinians. Please vote yes on

4:56:05this call to divest and end our

4:56:07complicity. Thank you.

4:56:09>> Our next speaker is Alan Schachter.

4:56:11Alan, you have 1 minute. Please go

4:56:13ahead.

4:56:14>> Thank you. Hi, my name is Alan

4:56:16Schachter. I live at 346 Concord Avenue.

4:56:19I've lived in Cambridge for 40 years,

4:56:21and I'm a member of Boston Workers

4:56:22Circle.

4:56:23And I want to urge that you vote yes on

4:56:27resolutions 195 and 196 on the policy

4:56:30orders.

4:56:31For all of the reasons that you have

4:56:33heard today, I don't need to tell you

4:56:35what I have seen. But what I will tell

4:56:37you is the first time I went to Israel,

4:56:39I went with the American Zionist Youth

4:56:41Foundation. I was 16 years old. I didn't

4:56:43really even know what Zionism meant at

4:56:46that time, but I went and I experienced

4:56:48in Israel then. I went back in 2001

4:56:52with the National Lawyers Guild, with a

4:56:54group of half Jewish American lawyers

4:56:56and half Palestinian American lawyers.

4:56:59What I saw on the ground in Israel and

4:57:02the West Bank was horrifying.

4:57:05And what I want to say is to me what a

4:57:08yes vote here is, it's not whether it

4:57:10supports Israel or not. It is are we

4:57:15being supportive of the voices for

4:57:16nonviolence and

4:57:18the people

4:57:19>> us the remainder of your comment.

4:57:21>> Thank you.

4:57:21>> speaker is Missy Arallano, followed by

4:57:24Andrew Kim, then Andrea Reposati. Missy,

4:57:29please go ahead. You have the floor, 1

4:57:31minute.

4:57:34>> Hi, can you hear me?

4:57:36>> We can hear you.

4:57:37>> Okay, thank you. Hi, my name is Missy

4:57:40Arriano. I'm an artist, educator,

4:57:42mother, and teaching fellow at Harvard

4:57:44University. I'm speaking on policy order

4:57:47189. Last November, my art was featured

4:57:51in the artist in print bin in Harvard

4:57:53Square outside the kiosk. From there, I

4:57:55started facilitating creative workshops

4:57:58for the public and started the Radical

4:58:00Collage Collective. During my time, I

4:58:02have only felt support from Cultural Hub

4:58:05staff and Cambridge City volunteers.

4:58:07I believe the recent messages about the

4:58:09kiosk are wrong and full of holes. I

4:58:12believe the opponents of the kiosk do

4:58:14not spend enough time with their feet on

4:58:15the ground. They don't know what the

4:58:17community needs. Instead, they seem

4:58:18driven by numbers.

4:58:20Currently, the kiosk is working to

4:58:21restructure the way it operates through

4:58:23creative residencies to better serve the

4:58:25community. I urge the members of the

4:58:27council and opposers to come to Radical

4:58:29Collage Collective on Wednesdays from

4:58:325:00 to 7:30 to fully experience all the

4:58:34space has to offer.

4:58:37>> Our next speaker is Andrew Kim, followed

4:58:40by Andrew Reposati,

4:58:43then Jacob Augenstern. Andrew, 1 minute.

4:58:47>> Hello, my name is Andrew Kim. I'm a

4:58:49member of the Democratic Socialists of

4:58:51America and a deacon at Old Cambridge

4:58:53Baptist Church, a congregation dedicated

4:58:55and devoted to righting and healing the

4:58:57harms caused by and in the name of

4:58:59Christianity across the globe, including

4:59:02the anti-Semitic Christian crusade of

4:59:04violent Zionism in the name of bringing

4:59:06about a heretical Armageddon.

4:59:09What is before the council today is

4:59:10nothing less than met morality itself.

4:59:13At this point, we all know that what is

4:59:15happening in Gaza is a genocide. We all

4:59:18know that it's wrong, and we all know

4:59:20that it would be wrong no matter who is

4:59:21doing it.

4:59:23These resolutions are a way to do real

4:59:25moral good in the world, rather than

4:59:27simply saying we will. If any of the

4:59:30council have ever claimed to stand for

4:59:31human rights, then now is the time for

4:59:33them to act and pass these resolutions.

4:59:36If they do not pass these resolutions,

4:59:38then we will all know that any future

4:59:40claims are falsehoods. Thank you for

4:59:42your time.

4:59:43>> Our next speaker is Andrea

4:59:45Repossati, followed by Jacob Augenstern,

4:59:49then Micah Shalom Kesselman.

4:59:55Andrea has not joined. We will go to

4:59:57Jacob Augenstern.

5:00:04Jacob, if you can unmute yourself.

5:00:12We do not have Jacob. We will go to

5:00:14Micah Shalom Kesselman.

5:00:20Micah, you have the floor. You have 1

5:00:21minute.

5:00:23>> My name is Micah Shalom Kesselman. I

5:00:25live in Medford, organize with Medford

5:00:27for Palestine, and strongly encouraged

5:00:29divestment in Cambridge. I am also local

5:00:31co-council to the American Arab

5:00:32anti-discrimination committee attorneys

5:00:35who have been tirelessly defending our

5:00:36own values aligned local investments

5:00:38ordinance here in Medford.

5:00:40You will receive numerous comments from

5:00:41detractors raising the specter of

5:00:43litigation in an attempt to bully you

5:00:44out of this critical work that is

5:00:46historically supported in our great

5:00:47Commonwealth.

5:00:48I assure you that such threats are in

5:00:50fact all bark and utterly toothless and

5:00:52slack-jawed bite. From my own experience

5:00:55and based on myriad discussions with

5:00:56colleagues who are also dealing with

5:00:58these clowns, the ultra-Zionist

5:00:59litigation outfits appear to be entirely

5:01:01staffed and supported by incompetent and

5:01:03unprofessional fools.

5:01:05They had their case against Northampton,

5:01:06where they filed a 10 taxpayer suit

5:01:08initially describing only nine taxpayers

5:01:10dismissed for lack of standing. In

5:01:12Medford, they have utterly failed to

5:01:13show federal standing as indicated by

5:01:15the magistrate judge's recent

5:01:16recommendation for correspondent

5:01:17dismissal. In short, none of the

5:01:19litigation threats should be taken

5:01:20seriously. These people are not

5:01:22boogeymen, they are petulant morons.

5:01:24Thank you.

5:01:26>> Our next speaker is

5:01:29We're going to go back to Jacob

5:01:31Augenstein, then we will go to Tom

5:01:33Burton, followed by Kashif Hoda.

5:01:36Jacob?

5:01:39Please go ahead, you have the floor.

5:01:41>> Hi, can you hear me?

5:01:43>> We can.

5:01:43>> We can.

5:01:44>> All right, great. Hi, Jacob Augenstein,

5:01:46180 Elm Street. I've lived in Cambridge

5:01:49for 20 years, and it's with that

5:01:50perspective that I want to

5:01:53speak to the grandstanding that's been

5:01:54done tonight about Jewish safety.

5:01:57Israel didn't do a thing for me when

5:01:59neo-Nazi skinheads hung around punk

5:02:01shows in Central Square when I was a

5:02:03kid.

5:02:04Jewish safety is something we build for

5:02:06ourselves here.

5:02:07And let's be clear what we're talking

5:02:09about tonight. We're talking about $28

5:02:10million

5:02:12of municipal funds that go to war

5:02:15companies. No one is made unsafe by

5:02:18buying fewer bombs.

5:02:21We shouldn't distract ourselves from the

5:02:22issue here. Children are being killed

5:02:25with money that we are being forced to

5:02:27spend against our will. I am a Cambridge

5:02:30taxpayer, I refuse to have the blood of

5:02:32any child on my hands.

5:02:34The way you vote tonight will be

5:02:35remembered by your children and your

5:02:37grandchildren. Vote accordingly.

5:02:41>> Our next speaker is Tom Burton, followed

5:02:45by Kashif Hoda, then Rosa Parks.

5:02:48Tom?

5:02:51Tom has not joined, we will go to Kashif

5:02:53Hoda, speaker number 262.

5:03:00Kashif has not joined us.

5:03:02Rosa Parks.

5:03:06Rosa has not joined. We will go to

5:03:08Zenaida Alexeeva.

5:03:14Zenaida, please go ahead. You have 1

5:03:16minute.

5:03:18>> Uh hi, my name is Zena. I'm a Jewish

5:03:20American and uh I

5:03:23have children here. My pediatrician for

5:03:2820 years has been in Cambridge. My kids

5:03:30have

5:03:31graduated, but two of them from

5:03:33Cambridge school, one still there.

5:03:36Um I feel that

5:03:39the uh

5:03:41the

5:03:41>> [snorts]

5:03:42>> the vote against

5:03:44companies that are um

5:03:47tied to Israel is unpatriotic because

5:03:51right now, Israel is our ally in in the

5:03:54one war that America has going on in

5:03:58Iran. And I just don't feel that the

5:04:03city of Cambridge should be deciding for

5:04:07the global uh

5:04:09global political and uh

5:04:13um

5:04:14economic

5:04:16issues that that are outside of its

5:04:19jurisdiction.

5:04:21>> Please send us the remainder of your

5:04:22comment. We will go to Via Chiney or

5:04:25Chiney.

5:04:28Via has not joined. Lena Smith.

5:04:35Lena has not joined us. We will go to

5:04:36Liviu Rosen, followed by Ron Blum, then

5:04:40Gal Kober.

5:04:42Liviu.

5:04:44Please go ahead. You have 1 minute.

5:04:50>> Yes, good evening. Can you hear me?

5:04:53>> We can hear you.

5:04:54>> Perfect. Good evening. My name is Liviu

5:04:56Russu. I live in Wilmington and and do

5:04:59business in Cambridge every week.

5:05:01Please vote no on 195 and 196.

5:05:04These orders target exactly one country.

5:05:07Just look at Cambridge's own pension.

5:05:10It holds a $115 million fund in the big

5:05:13share invested in China, which our

5:05:15government says is committing genocide

5:05:17against the Uyghurs. It also makes the

5:05:20most money from Egypt and Turkey

5:05:22governments that jailed their political

5:05:24opponents. Neither order says a word

5:05:27about them, only Israel. No court has

5:05:30found Israel guilty of genocide.

5:05:32The ICJ case won't finish written

5:05:35arguments until 2029.

5:05:37The IHRA definition of anti-Semitism

5:05:40endorsed by Governor Baker

5:05:42uh warns against exactly this double

5:05:44standard. If you want human rights

5:05:45policy, apply one test to every country.

5:05:48Please vote no. Thank you.

5:05:52>> Our next speaker, we're actually going

5:05:54to go back to

5:05:56Lina Smith, followed by Ron Blum, then

5:06:00Gal Kober.

5:06:02Lina, please go ahead. You have 1

5:06:03minute.

5:06:07>> Can you hear me?

5:06:09>> We can hear you.

5:06:10>> Okay, thank you.

5:06:12Um my name is Lina Smith. I'm a high

5:06:14school teacher and I'm very much in

5:06:16favor of divestment. Um divesting from

5:06:20Israeli companies that are perpetrating

5:06:23what's been called the crime of all

5:06:25crimes, genocide, is in no way

5:06:28anti-Semitic.

5:06:29Um what's happening in Gaza um is an

5:06:32industrial scale butchering operation,

5:06:36and that's that comes from the most

5:06:38respected human rights organizations in

5:06:40the world.

5:06:41So, it is our duty and obligation under

5:06:44international law to boycott and divest

5:06:47from Israel.

5:06:48And the

5:06:50the parties intent on protecting Israel

5:06:53at all costs by going as far as

5:06:56weaponizing anti-Semitism

5:06:59are manipulative and and honestly

5:07:01immoral and those voices cannot be

5:07:04listened to. So, we have to do what

5:07:07>> Our next speaker is Ron Bloom followed

5:07:10by Gal Kober then Pooja Sen.

5:07:14Ron.

5:07:15>> Uh thank you Madam Mayor and members of

5:07:17the City Council. My name is Ron Bloom.

5:07:19I live at 19 Wendell Street and I'm here

5:07:21about policy order number seven and

5:07:22eight.

5:07:23Sorry.

5:07:24Uh I'm a Cambridge resident. I'm Jewish

5:07:26and I'm a first generation American.

5:07:28>> Ron, sorry if you can pull the mic down

5:07:29so that you're speaking directly. Yeah.

5:07:31Just Yeah.

5:07:32>> Sorry, I was afraid to touch it.

5:07:34Uh I'm a Cambridge resident. I'm Jewish

5:07:36and I'm a first generation American. My

5:07:38dad came here to the US in 1948

5:07:40uh after fleeing Nazi-occupied Romania

5:07:43or after uh my mom is Israeli. Most of

5:07:45my family lives in Israel. I lived in

5:07:46Israel when I where I when I was in

5:07:49elementary school and I still carry

5:07:50Israeli citizenship and it pains me

5:07:53pains me that our city's investments aid

5:07:54and abet an apartheid genocidal state

5:07:57that has been subjugating and murdering

5:07:58Palestinians for decades.

5:08:00The Star of David or Magen David around

5:08:01my neck is a reminder of tzedakah which

5:08:04is the obligation of justice,

5:08:05righteousness, and charity which brings

5:08:07me here today in support of these policy

5:08:09orders. The dollar amounts that we're

5:08:11talking about might seem small, but by

5:08:13divesting we send a big message that

5:08:15never again is now. Thank you.

5:08:18>> Our next speaker is Gal Kober followed

5:08:21by Pooja

5:08:23Sen then Sanjana Paul.

5:08:25Gal, please go ahead. You have 1 minute.

5:08:36Gal, if you can unmute yourself.

5:08:44>> Uh hi. I wasn't giving me

5:08:48Thanks.

5:08:50Uh my name is Gal Kober. I live in

5:08:51neighborhood nine. I'm a Jewish Israeli

5:08:54American and 22-year Cambridge resident

5:08:57and I'm a mom to a kid in the Cambridge

5:08:59public schools.

5:09:01I um understand my Israeli compatriots,

5:09:03many of whom I heard to be It is

5:09:05embarrassing to be held accountable for

5:09:08what our country is doing,

5:09:09but Israel is committing genocide and

5:09:11ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West

5:09:13Bank and that's far more significant

5:09:16than your personal feelings.

5:09:19Economic sanctions are effective.

5:09:21They've been proven to be so in the case

5:09:22of South Africa. This external pressure

5:09:25is crucial and I urge the Cambridge City

5:09:27Council to do the right thing and divest

5:09:29from genocide. Thank you.

5:09:33>> We're moving to speaker number 270,

5:09:36Pooja Sen, followed by Sanjana Paul,

5:09:40then Omar Abbas.

5:09:42Pooja?

5:09:43>> Hi, my name is Pooja. I live in Inman

5:09:46Square and I am commenting on the policy

5:09:49order to divest Cambridge from genocide.

5:09:51I've lived in Cambridge for 19 years. I

5:09:54was raised here. I attended Cambridge

5:09:55public schools and most recently I was a

5:09:58post-doctoral fellow at Harvard

5:09:59University. I care about the city and I

5:10:02care about the people in Palestine. Our

5:10:04city should not invest in weapons and

5:10:06defense companies that kill children,

5:10:09doctors, and journalists, and destroy

5:10:11homes, schools, and hospitals. I do not

5:10:14ever want to see images of people with

5:10:16their limbs blown off and organs coming

5:10:18out of their stomachs. I do not ever

5:10:20want to see images of families

5:10:22collecting their children's body parts

5:10:24in plastic bags. This violence is

5:10:27possible because the weapons made by

5:10:29Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, General

5:10:31Dynamics, Boeing, and GE Aerospace. I

5:10:35urge you to divest now from all

5:10:37companies that profit off of war and

5:10:39violence. Thank you.

5:10:41>> Our next speaker is Sanjana Paul,

5:10:43followed by Omar Abbas, then Igor

5:10:46Lubashev. Sanjana, please go ahead. 1

5:10:49minute.

5:10:51>> Hi, my name is Sanjana. I have lived,

5:10:54worked, studied, and paid taxes in

5:10:56Cambridge since 2021, and I'm commenting

5:10:59in support of policy orders 7 and 8.

5:11:02These policy orders target specific

5:11:03companies based on their actions

5:11:05supporting the genocide in Palestine,

5:11:07which has been described as such by the

5:11:09United Nations,

5:11:10the International Association of

5:11:12Genocide Scholars, and human rights

5:11:14organizations and scholars from around

5:11:16the world. It's important for Cambridge

5:11:18specifically to take action because our

5:11:20tax dollars fund $3.8 billion a year in

5:11:23military aid to Israel, and economic

5:11:26sanctions are effective, as we have seen

5:11:28in the case of South Africa and other

5:11:30historical precedents.

5:11:32All children around the world are our

5:11:33children, and any action that we can

5:11:35take to protect the children of

5:11:37Palestine is one that we should

5:11:38absolutely throw all of our weight

5:11:40behind.

5:11:42>> Our next speaker is Omar Abbas, followed

5:11:45by Igor Lubashev, then Young Kim. Omar,

5:11:481 minute.

5:11:50>> Good evening. My name is Omar. I'm a

5:11:51psychiatrist, um employed in the city of

5:11:53Cambridge, and a resident here as well.

5:11:56Uh I'm calling on the City Council on

5:11:57behalf of my union, CIRSEIU,

5:12:00to end our city's complicity with the

5:12:01genocide in Palestine and the killing of

5:12:03our healthcare colleagues.

5:12:05Um I also call on the city to continue

5:12:07its proud proud tradition in standing

5:12:09against apartheid, as we did 40 years

5:12:11ago in South Africa. Thank you, and free

5:12:14Palestine.

5:12:15>> Our next speaker is

5:12:18Igor Lubashev, followed by Young Kim,

5:12:21then Richard Krushnic.

5:12:25Igor, you have 1 minute. Please go

5:12:26ahead.

5:12:30>> I'm Igor Lubashev. Been in Cambridge for

5:12:3220 years. My friend is a rabbi in

5:12:35Arlington. His home was set on fire

5:12:38twice.

5:12:39Synagogue torch in Needham and Chelsea.

5:12:42A brick with free Palestine through

5:12:44Brookline kosher market. Rocks through

5:12:46windows of Newton homes with pro-Israel

5:12:49sign.

5:12:50Will this resolution stop the next

5:12:52brick? Or will it feed the climate that

5:12:54throws it? This is not South Africa, not

5:12:57fossil fuel. Look around this room.

5:13:00There is no consensus, only division.

5:13:03Now, some say genocide.

5:13:05Know what this looks like? Half of

5:13:08Ottoman Armenians. Two thirds of

5:13:11Europe's Jews. Three quarters of

5:13:13Rwanda's Tutsis.

5:13:14Do not spend that word like pocket

5:13:16change.

5:13:17This ordinance lets a Philadelphia group

5:13:20dictate who Cambridge invests in, buys

5:13:22from, rents to, sells to.

5:13:24Cambridge is nobody's pawn.

5:13:27Please, vote no.

5:13:30>> Our next speaker is Young Kim, followed

5:13:32by Richard Krushnic, then Mike Walsh.

5:13:35Young, you have 1 minute. Please go

5:13:37ahead.

5:13:37>> Young Kim, 17 Norris Street. On CMA 12,

5:13:42the neighbors guide and

5:13:43interdepartmental

5:13:45coordination go hand in hand. Please

5:13:48return the report and request the city

5:13:50manager's own memo

5:13:53co-signed by all responsible department

5:13:55managers specifying each department

5:13:58responsibilities,

5:14:00how they coordinate, and who resolves

5:14:03compliance problems, and most of all

5:14:06that they all agree, that they all buy

5:14:09into it.

5:14:10The guide and temporary relation welcome

5:14:13steps. Please convene a resident task

5:14:16force to test drive the guide. On policy

5:14:19order 7 and 8, boycott, audit, the

5:14:22divestment cannot resolve this age-old

5:14:25conflict. To everyone who spoke

5:14:27eloquently tonight, I feel your pain. My

5:14:31country, too, was divided by world

5:14:34powers. Instead of Instead, let's

5:14:37convene a town meeting and show the

5:14:40world that

5:14:41>> Thank you, Young. Please send us the

5:14:42rest of your comment via email. Our next

5:14:45speaker Your time is up. Your time has

5:14:47expired.

5:14:48Our next speaker is Richard Krushnic,

5:14:51followed by Mike Walsh, then Sue Ann

5:14:53Friedman.

5:14:55Richard has not joined. We will go to

5:14:58Mike Walsh, followed by Sue Ann

5:15:01Friedman, then Langdon Augburn.

5:15:06>> My name My name is Mike Walsh. I live in

5:15:08Cambridge.

5:15:10As laid out in the 100 Years' War on

5:15:11Palestine by Rashid Khalidi, which I

5:15:14encourage you all to read,

5:15:17this has never been a conflict between

5:15:18two equal forces. For over 100 years, it

5:15:21has been an occupation of an indigenous

5:15:23people backed by Western money and

5:15:25bombs, never more than so than today by

5:15:28the United States.

5:15:30Palestinians are being killed in droves

5:15:32in what is by all international

5:15:34standards a genocide. Palestinians have

5:15:36the right to self-determination, peace,

5:15:38and their home.

5:15:40Palestinians have loved ones, hopes,

5:15:42dreams, inside jokes, favorite

5:15:44musicians, and they're being turned to

5:15:46rubble.

5:15:47This war is old, but it is not

5:15:49inevitable.

5:15:50As Cambridge citizens, we have the duty

5:15:52to divest. Thank you.

5:15:54>> We're going to go back to an earlier

5:15:55skipped speaker, Ian Bass, followed by

5:16:00Sue Ann Friedman, then Langdon Augburn.

5:16:03Ian, please go ahead. You have the

5:16:05floor. 1 minute.

5:16:08>> Hi. Good evening, everyone. My name is

5:16:10Ian Bass.

5:16:12Um I just came today because, obviously,

5:16:15there's a lot going on with this issue.

5:16:17Thank you to everyone who spoke.

5:16:19Um

5:16:20I came because the world I know is

5:16:22watching what happens with this

5:16:24Cambridge decision.

5:16:26And I know there's a lot of feelings

5:16:28involved in it, but for me it's very

5:16:29simple.

5:16:30We know that this is a genocide.

5:16:33We know that divestment is a simple way

5:16:36to put an end to it.

5:16:38And I I strongly urge the council to to

5:16:41vote in favor of divestment. Thank you

5:16:42very much.

5:16:44>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Sue Anne

5:16:46Friedman.

5:16:52Sue Anne has not joined. We will go to

5:16:53Langdon Augburn.

5:17:00Langdon has not joined us. Mandy Chan.

5:17:05Mandy, you have 1 minute. Please go

5:17:07ahead.

5:17:10>> Good evening, councilors. My name is

5:17:11Mandy and I live in Porter Square and

5:17:14I'm asking Cambridge to divest from

5:17:16corporations that are complicit in

5:17:17Israel's genocide in Palestine. This is

5:17:20not about corporations I mean this is

5:17:22about corporations, not nationalities

5:17:24and not anti-Semitism. It's about 28

5:17:27million in companies publicly known to

5:17:29profit from arming military operations

5:17:32that murder innocent civilians. And the

5:17:35to those who say that our money should

5:17:36be used locally for our own community, I

5:17:38completely agree. It should not be a

5:17:40question whether our local government

5:17:41should be investing 28 million toward

5:17:44its own residents instead of genocide.

5:17:46If we divest, we become a beacon that

5:17:49encourages other communities to ask

5:17:50where their money is going and Cambridge

5:17:53should not profit from war. So please

5:17:55vote yes. Thank you.

5:17:58>> Our next speaker is Joshua Espana Lopez

5:18:02followed by Sajid Shade Atiya, then Jay

5:18:06Tulin.

5:18:07Joshua.

5:18:08>> Thank you. Good evening, city council.

5:18:11My my is Joshua. I live on Linnaean

5:18:12Street. I'm an undergrad at Harvard

5:18:14College and I represent the student

5:18:16movement advocating for a free

5:18:17Palestine. I'm unaware of y'all's

5:18:20spiritual beliefs, but I, as countless

5:18:22other Cambridge residents, hold

5:18:24spiritual traditions that

5:18:26value practices of peace and the

5:18:29promotion of all life. And the city of

5:18:31Cambridge funding

5:18:33um surveillance and dam um

5:18:35surveillance and um

5:18:38Sorry.

5:18:39Surveillance and dam and other genocide

5:18:42funding

5:18:43um

5:18:44uh

5:18:45companies goes against these practices

5:18:47and traditional beliefs.

5:18:49Uh so I ask for a divestment so that the

5:18:51city of Cambridge can live more in

5:18:53harmony between our minds, hearts, and

5:18:55spirit. Thank you.

5:18:57>> Our next speaker is Sajit

5:19:00Shade Attia, followed by

5:19:04Jay Toolan, then Stephen Krish.

5:19:13Sajit, if you can unmute yourself,

5:19:15please go ahead.

5:19:20>> Hi, mayor and city councilors. As a

5:19:23mother and Israeli-American Council

5:19:25representative, I ask you to remember

5:19:27three things. First, on October 8th,

5:19:302023,

5:19:32over 30 Harvard student groups blamed

5:19:34Israel for Hamas massacre. Second, as

5:19:38Dara Horn warns, anti-Semitism portrays

5:19:41Jews as enemies of society's most

5:19:43cherished values, including human rights

5:19:46and social justice. Third, your words

5:19:50and actions carry responsibility. These

5:19:53BDS-aligned proposals use inflammatory

5:19:56language and focus specifically on

5:19:58Israel. What consistent principle

5:20:01justify that focus? Words do not exist

5:20:04in a vacuum. My children and I pass

5:20:06armed guards entering Jewish schools and

5:20:08synagogues. Through I Through I see

5:20:10shield I've witnessed intimidation

5:20:12escalating to violence. More than 650

5:20:15people have signed a petition opposing

5:20:17these proposals. I ask you to vote to no

5:20:19on both. Every resident deserves safety.

5:20:22Every child deserves to be

5:20:25>> Please email us the remainder of your

5:20:26comment. Our next speaker is Jay Tulan.

5:20:30Followed by Stephen Krish, then Ramsey

5:20:32Brenner. Jay?

5:20:38Jay has not joined us. We will go to

5:20:39Stephen Krish.

5:20:46We will go to Ramsey Brenner.

5:20:53We will go to speaker number 285,

5:20:55Macallie Lerner.

5:20:58Macallie, please unmute yourself. You

5:20:59have 1 minute.

5:21:10Macallie, we can't hear you. You need to

5:21:12unmute yourself.

5:21:20Macallie, if you can try one more time.

5:21:26All right, we'll try Macallie at the

5:21:27end.

5:21:29We will go to speaker number 286, Rahel

5:21:36Moore

5:21:38followed by Allison Gordon. Rahel?

5:21:47We don't have Rahel. Allison Gordon?

5:21:56>> Councilors, I have studied and worked in

5:21:58Cambridge and served on the boards of

5:22:00Cambridge organizations for 40 years.

5:22:03Here are the facts.

5:22:04History has taught us well-intentioned

5:22:07people can empower dangerous movements.

5:22:09BDS does not build peace. It is a hate

5:22:12movement. The fastest way to stop this

5:22:15war is to insist that Hamas terrorists

5:22:18disarm. Peace would be immediate. What

5:22:22is happening in Gaza is not genocide.

5:22:24Genocide means deliberately trying to

5:22:26destroy a people, not fighting a war in

5:22:29which civilians tragically die.

5:22:32What is happening in Gaza is a

5:22:33counterattack in a war that has been

5:22:36waged on Israel since 1948.

5:22:39In 1949, Gaza had 268,000

5:22:43residents, including refugees. Today,

5:22:47its population is 2.1

5:22:50million. This is not genocide.

5:22:53Israel has facilitated 1.8 million tons

5:22:56of humanitarian aid, enabled 36,000

5:22:59patients to leave Gaza for medical

5:23:01treatment, and issued 15.5 million

5:23:04>> Thank you for your time. Your time has

5:23:06expired, Allison. Please email us the

5:23:09remainder of your comment. Our next

5:23:11speaker is Naomi

5:23:12>> so feel free to email us the remainder.

5:23:14>> like 10 times. That couldn't have been a

5:23:16minute.

5:23:17>> Sorry.

5:23:17>> Timer's running on the screen.

5:23:19>> the remainder.

5:23:21>> We're going to go back to

5:23:24I said that you can email us the

5:23:26remainder.

5:23:27Go ahead, Naomi.

5:23:29We're going to go back to Makali Lerner,

5:23:32followed by Jack Shust, then Cindy

5:23:35Larson.

5:23:36Makali, if you can unmute yourself.

5:23:41>> Can you hear me?

5:23:42>> We can.

5:23:43>> Hi. Uh, my name is Makali Lerner. I live

5:23:45in Wellesley. How many Jewish parents in

5:23:47our local communities have to tell you

5:23:49how afraid we are for ourselves and our

5:23:51children before the City Council and the

5:23:53wider community can hear us? I ask the

5:23:56City Council and all the non-Jews who

5:23:58felt so compelled to speak tonight in

5:24:00favor why you don't believe us.

5:24:03Cambridge and Massachusetts Jews like my

5:24:05own teen girls are being physically and

5:24:07verbally attacked just for being Jews.

5:24:10This proposition puts one more target on

5:24:12our backs. We are your friends, we're

5:24:14your neighbors. Why can't you or won't

5:24:16you listen to us? Why doesn't this

5:24:18community care about us? Are you really

5:24:20willing to sacrifice the safety of your

5:24:23friends and neighbors to make yourself

5:24:25feel better about a tragic, tragic

5:24:27conflict that is happening thousands of

5:24:29miles away? After listening to you for

5:24:31hours tonight, I'm having a hard time

5:24:32believing that Cambridge's progressive

5:24:34values include protecting Jews at

5:24:36protecting Jews at all.

5:24:41>> Our next speaker is Jack Shust, followed

5:24:44by Cindy Larson, then Amy Bennett.

5:24:49Jack?

5:24:52Jack has not joined, we'll go to Cindy

5:24:54Larson.

5:24:58Cindy has not joined, we will go to Amy

5:25:01Bennett.

5:25:06We'll go to speaker 291, George Corey.

5:25:17David Boris.

5:25:23Nina Wolf-Landau.

5:25:27Nina, if you can unmute yourself, you

5:25:29have the floor, you have 1 minute.

5:25:34>> Good evening. My name is Nina. I am a

5:25:36Jewish Boston resident and I pray with

5:25:38multiple Jewish communities in

5:25:40Cambridge. I strongly support divesting

5:25:42from these companies complicit in

5:25:44genocide and and apartheid, not in spite

5:25:47of my Judaism, but because of it.

5:25:49Judaism teaches us to olam, to heal the

5:25:52world. Divestment is an important step

5:25:54Cambridge can take to stop the harm that

5:25:56these companies are facilitating not

5:25:58only in Israel and globally, as well as

5:26:00here in the US.

5:26:02To say divestment and opposition to

5:26:03Israel are anti-Semitic is frankly

5:26:05foolish. Israel does not represent all

5:26:09Jews. We are singling Israel out not

5:26:11just for its uniquely genocidal acts

5:26:13over not just the last 3 years, but over

5:26:15the last century, but also because the

5:26:17United States and Cambridge specifically

5:26:19is funding the flow of weapons to Israel

5:26:21with tax dollars and is invested in

5:26:23companies that are facilitating the mass

5:26:25murder of Palestinians. I urge the City

5:26:28Council to be brave and make the common

5:26:29sense choice to support divestment.

5:26:33>> Our next speaker is Abhik Shahdergy

5:26:37followed by Faisal Hamid, then Steve

5:26:40Speer.

5:26:41Abhik, you have the floor. Please go

5:26:43ahead, 1 minute.

5:26:47>> Okay, thank you so much for the

5:26:49opportunity. My name is Abhik Shahdergy

5:26:50and I've been a Cambridge resident for

5:26:5213 years. I'm speaking in support of

5:26:54divestment. My father and his family

5:26:56were displaced from their ancestral home

5:26:58in Bangladesh, a home that my brother

5:27:00and I will never see. The 1970 war that

5:27:02displaced my father ended only when

5:27:05India intervened.

5:27:06The memorial in India that commemorate

5:27:08commemorates their role in ending that

5:27:10war includes a captured American tank

5:27:12because American tanks were used to

5:27:14murder and displace religious minorities

5:27:16during that war, including my family.

5:27:19The tank monument is a constant reminder

5:27:22of American hubris. American involvement

5:27:24in oppression globally is reprehensible

5:27:26to me and that my taxpayer dollars would

5:27:28go to

5:27:29profiting off of violence like what my

5:27:31family experienced would be a betrayal

5:27:33to my ancestors.

5:27:34But unlike my ancestors today, I have

5:27:36the opportunity to try to end US and

5:27:38Cambridge complicity in this genocide.

5:27:41Please vote to take our money out of

5:27:42these companies that are profiting off

5:27:44profiting off of violence and genocide

5:27:46in Gaza.

5:27:48>> Our next speaker is Faisal Hamid,

5:27:51followed by Steve Spear, then

5:27:54Michel DeGraff. Faisal?

5:28:02Faisal has not joined us. We will go to

5:28:04Steve Spear.

5:28:08Steve, 1 minute. Please go ahead.

5:28:10>> Yeah, hey, good evening, y'all. Might

5:28:11make midnight. That's good. I just want

5:28:12to say this resolution wildly racist.

5:28:15And I don't just mean accusing Jews of

5:28:16terrible things. We get that all the

5:28:18time. Used to it. Don't like it, but

5:28:20it's common. But think about all the

5:28:22people you're denying agency on this

5:28:23thing. You got Hamas and I don't hold

5:28:25them accountable. Hezbollah, Fatah, PLO,

5:28:28the Iranians. No one's being held

5:28:29accountable for your actions in this

5:28:31whole thing. So anyway, at least, you

5:28:33know, balance it out. If you're going to

5:28:35blame the Jews, blame everybody else and

5:28:37be done with it. But anyway, this thing

5:28:38is foolish. Vote no. Thank you.

5:28:41>> Our next speaker is Michel DeGraff,

5:28:44followed by Daniel Yahalom, then Eric

5:28:48Gross. Michel?

5:29:02Michel, please go ahead. The timer will

5:29:03reset when you start.

5:29:05>> Okay.

5:29:08I'm Michel DeGraff, Haitian-born MIT

5:29:11linguist,

5:29:13Cambridge resident for 30 years.

5:29:16My Cambridge-born son, Nuriel, graduated

5:29:19from CRLS,

5:29:21worked on councilors' campaigns and

5:29:23school committee right here.

5:29:25I research liberal linguistics for

5:29:27decades.

5:29:28At Cambridge com- Peace Commission

5:29:30events, we recall King's giant triplets:

5:29:34racism, extreme materialism, militarism.

5:29:38They all converge in Palestine.

5:29:41The student primer, MIT Science for

5:29:43Genocide, documents Israeli

5:29:46military-funded MIT research and ties to

5:29:49arms manufacturers whose weapons kill

5:29:52and maim children in Gaza.

5:29:54My Jewish comrade's poster says, "Ending

5:29:56genocide is not anti-Semitic. Neither is

5:29:59divestment from merchants of death."

5:30:01Cambridge, please set an example for

5:30:03MIT. Divest now. Thank you.

5:30:06>> Our next speaker is Daniel Yahalom,

5:30:09followed by Eric Gross, then Elizabeth

5:30:11Hudson. Daniel, 1 minute.

5:30:15>> Thank you. My name is Daniel Yahalom,

5:30:17and I'm a Cambridge resident of 10 years

5:30:18living in Inman Square. There are many

5:30:20alarming problems with policy orders

5:30:22today, but I want to focus on one issue.

5:30:24They cite the United Nations special

5:30:26rapporteur on the on the occupied

5:30:27Palestinian territories as an authority.

5:30:29This woman, whose name is Francesca

5:30:31Albanese, and she is a known

5:30:32anti-Semite. She has an extremely long

5:30:34list of anti-Semitic comments, has been

5:30:36condemned by multiple countries. For her

5:30:38most recent bigoted statement, she

5:30:40tweeted that Israelis are globalizing

5:30:42apartheid one brick at a time by buying

5:30:44property outside of Israel. She posted

5:30:46this comment 6 days ago.

5:30:48By citing her as an authority, you are

5:30:50now complicit in her views, as we heard

5:30:52all evening. Passing these policy orders

5:30:54means telling all Israelis here in

5:30:56Cambridge, including myself, that they

5:30:58are not welcome to live in the city

5:30:59since we, according to your noted

5:31:01expert, are globalizing apartheid.

5:31:03So, if you decide to vote for these

5:31:05measures, please do us a favor and look

5:31:07us in the eye as you hang up the "No

5:31:08Jews, sorry, no Israeli" sign outside

5:31:11City Hall. Thank you.

5:31:13>> Our next speaker is Eric Gross, followed

5:31:16by Elizabeth Hudson, then Adam Stone.

5:31:19Eric?

5:31:22Eric is not here. We will go to

5:31:24Elizabeth Hudson.

5:31:31Elizabeth is speaker number 300. 1

5:31:34minute. Please go ahead.

5:31:36>> Thank you. Good evening, everybody. Hi,

5:31:38I'm Elizabeth Hudson. I live at 325

5:31:40Harvard Street and I came this evening

5:31:43to say that this is a distraction and

5:31:44it's not your job, which is why order

5:31:47seven is a letter asking somebody nicely

5:31:49to do something that you have no power

5:31:51to do yourself. You have a job, which is

5:31:53running the city. Sewage ends up in the

5:31:55Charles when it rains too hard. There

5:31:57have been 20 shootings in the past 3

5:31:59years, many of which have been unsolved.

5:32:01School buildings need repair and 2 weeks

5:32:03ago we 2 weeks ago or 3 weeks ago you

5:32:06considered an order telling the school

5:32:08committee to pay people more with money

5:32:10that you don't have and you have no plan

5:32:11for going to get. Senator Warren lives

5:32:14in the city. Congressman Clark lives in

5:32:16this city. Ayanna Pressley is here all

5:32:17the time. This is their job. This is a

5:32:19fight you should be bringing to them and

5:32:21if this is the work you want to do, you

5:32:22should run for their seat instead.

5:32:24Finally, I'd note that I find it rich

5:32:25for the council to state that it

5:32:26unequivocally opposes anti-Semitism. We

5:32:29just a few weeks ago had two swastikas

5:32:31scratched into the mirrors at the high

5:32:32school and we didn't hear anything from

5:32:34any of you. Thank you.

5:32:36>> Our next speaker is Adam Stone followed

5:32:39by Victor Donchenko, then Anchal Chopra.

5:32:45Adam?

5:32:47Adam, you have the floor.

5:32:57Adam, please go ahead. You have 1

5:32:59minute.

5:33:01>> Hello, can you hear me?

5:33:02>> We can.

5:33:03>> Hi, I'm Adam Stone. I live on Plimpton

5:33:05Street and I'm speaking on item seven.

5:33:08If our goal is peace and a better future

5:33:10for Palestinians and Israelis, we must

5:33:12ask whether this resolution actually

5:33:13advances that goal. You cannot build

5:33:16peace by eliminating dialogue,

5:33:17cooperation, and economic opportunity.

5:33:20Over 20% of Israel's population is Arab.

5:33:22Arab citizens vote, serve in parliament,

5:33:24hold government positions, and can serve

5:33:26in the Israeli military. Consider Bank

5:33:28Leumi, one of the banks targeted by this

5:33:30divestment campaign. From 2019 to 2023,

5:33:33its chairman was Dr. Samer Haj Yehia, an

5:33:35Arab Muslim Israeli who championed

5:33:37economic cooperation between Arabs and

5:33:39Jews. For years, thousands of

5:33:41Palestinians have worked in Israel

5:33:43supporting their families. Israel is a

5:33:45diverse society of Jews, Muslims,

5:33:47Christians, and Druze citizens whose

5:33:49futures are interconnected. Genuine

5:33:51peace requires recognizing that everyone

5:33:52has a right to exist in peace and

5:33:54security. If we truly want to improve

5:33:56lives, we should encourage dialogue,

5:33:58education, coexistence, and economic

5:34:01opportunity, not policies that risk

5:34:03undermining them. Thank you.

5:34:05>> Our next speaker is Victor Donchenko,

5:34:08followed by Anshul Chopra,

5:34:11then Alexandra Steinberg. Victor?

5:34:20Victor has not joined us. We will go to

5:34:22Anshul Chopra.

5:34:28Alexandra Steinberg.

5:34:34Orin Weisberg.

5:34:40Jeremy Evans.

5:34:49Shannon Keegan.

5:34:53We will go to Shannon Keegan, followed

5:34:55by Leah W, then Aaron Goldstein.

5:34:58Shannon, please go ahead 1 minute.

5:35:05Shannon, you're unmuted and you have the

5:35:07floor. Please go ahead.

5:35:14We're not hearing Shannon. We'll come

5:35:16back.

5:35:17Let's go to speaker number 308, Leah W.

5:35:25Leah, if you can unmute yourself, please

5:35:27go ahead.

5:35:29Okay.

5:35:30>> Hi, my name is Leah White and I have

5:35:33lived and worked in Cambridge for more

5:35:35than 10 years. I raised my daughter here

5:35:38and Cambridge public schools taught her

5:35:39how to recognize a system of injustice

5:35:42and in that spirit of social justice, I

5:35:44urge you to support policy orders 7 and

5:35:468.

5:35:47>> [snorts]

5:35:47>> Um, there's been a lot of talk about BDS

5:35:49isolating and singling out Israel and

5:35:53that is the point of BDS economically

5:35:55and socially ostracize oppressors so

5:35:57that they cannot continue their

5:35:58oppression. I'm proud that the word

5:36:00boycott comes from the land of my

5:36:01ancestors, Ireland. In 1880, Irish

5:36:04tenants collectively ostracized the

5:36:05colonial British estate manager Charles

5:36:07Boycott, so he couldn't continue to

5:36:09force unlivable conditions upon them.

5:36:11Boycott left Ireland and his name became

5:36:13the name of an effective non-violent

5:36:15tool for people to stand up against

5:36:16imperialism. And And it isn't even

5:36:18accurate to say that these policy orders

5:36:20call for the boycott of the state of

5:36:21Israel. They certainly don't call for

5:36:23the singling out of Jewish people. They

5:36:25call for the boycott and divestment from

5:36:27multinational companies, many of which

5:36:29are based in the US, that provide the

5:36:31technology and what

5:36:33>> Leah, your time is expired. Please send

5:36:35us the remainder. Our next speaker is

5:36:37Aaron Goldstein, followed by the

5:36:40initials MK, then Heather Malchani.

5:36:44Aaron, please go ahead.

5:36:54Aaron, if you can unmute yourself.

5:36:59Aaron, I see you raising your hand.

5:37:01You're unmuted on our side. We can hear

5:37:03you.

5:37:04>> Okay, thank you very much. Uh, my name

5:37:07is Aaron Goldstein. I have been a

5:37:08resident of Cambridge for more than 5

5:37:10years.

5:37:12I rise to speak in opposition to a

5:37:14policy orders 195 and 196 mandating that

5:37:17the city of Cambridge commit to a policy

5:37:19of boycotting of and divestment from the

5:37:21state of

5:37:23The order is predicated on the false

5:37:24premises that Israel is engaged in

5:37:26apartheid, occupation, and genocide. And

5:37:30while claiming to oppose anti-Semitism,

5:37:31this order also ignores the terrorist

5:37:34violence committed by Hamas against

5:37:35Israel on October 7th, 2023, and its

5:37:39long-standing objective to kill all Jews

5:37:41in Israel.

5:37:42Therefore, the only purpose of this

5:37:44order serves is to willfully promote

5:37:46hatred against the Jewish community here

5:37:48in Cambridge. If implemented, it would

5:37:51not only be a stain on the city's

5:37:53reputation, but I fear it could lead to

5:37:55October 7th inspired attacks against

5:37:57Jews within city limits. Thank you.

5:38:01>> Our next speaker, we're going to go back

5:38:03to Shannon Keegan.

5:38:05Shannon Keegan, I'm sorry. Shannon, if

5:38:07you can try to unmute yourself.

5:38:11>> Hi, can you hear me?

5:38:12>> We can. Please go ahead.

5:38:13>> Shannon Keegan, Cedar Street, Cambridge,

5:38:15speaking in favor of policy orders 7 and

5:38:178. I stand in solidarity with our Jewish

5:38:19brothers and sisters from Peace Peaceful

5:38:22organizations like Jewish Voices for

5:38:23Peace, who uphold the best in American

5:38:25rights and values using their voice for

5:38:27peace and advocating for BDS.

5:38:30Hard-earned tax dollars that will

5:38:31intentionally be used to make weapons

5:38:34and bombs targeted at Palestinian

5:38:35children, the sick and elderly in

5:38:37hospitals, aid workers protected by

5:38:39humanitarian law is absolutely

5:38:40disgusting anywhere it is happening on

5:38:43the globe to any people.

5:38:45It will never be okay to directly or

5:38:47indirectly fund a genocide.

5:38:49I thought our social compact was never

5:38:51again. Your responsibility is great as

5:38:53Kennedy leaders to ensure no one

5:38:54contributes to the

5:38:56the atrocity of genocide as you elevate

5:38:59that social compact. Courage is hard,

5:39:01but we remember that our greatest heroes

5:39:03in history were unwavering advocates for

5:39:05peace and humanity. I implore you to be

5:39:08heroes for peace. It is urgent that you

5:39:09vote

5:39:11to to divest from Israel and invest in

5:39:13Cambridge. Free Palestine. Thank you.

5:39:16>> Our next speaker is MK.

5:39:27>> Hello. Hello. Um my name is Magna.

5:39:30I live in Inman.

5:39:31I've lived in Cambridge for 7 years.

5:39:33I've worked here for 7 years. I've seen

5:39:35Cambridge try to show efforts to serve

5:39:37the community from participatory

5:39:39budgeting, housing upzoning, citywide

5:39:41pre-K pilots. And yet, despite all of

5:39:44these attempts to community community

5:39:46build, we are now we've been sending 28

5:39:49million of our dollars that have been

5:39:52poured into funding war machines.

5:39:54Companies that have made money quite

5:39:57literally off manufacturing and selling

5:39:59weapons to Israel, bombs that have blown

5:40:01up a majority of Gazan buildings,

5:40:04uh drones that are surveilling

5:40:06Palestinians, bulldozers that are

5:40:08raising communities. All of this money

5:40:10to fund genocide. Today of Palestine,

5:40:12tomorrow of who knows. It's disgusting.

5:40:15We should be building our community here

5:40:17in Cambridge. We should not be sending

5:40:18all of this money to foreign entities

5:40:21who are destroying communities around

5:40:22the world.

5:40:24End our complicity in genocide. History

5:40:26has shown that we know how to do it.

5:40:27Free Palestine.

5:40:29>> Our next speaker is Heather Malkani,

5:40:32followed by Harry Silverstein, then Leah

5:40:34Rosenberg. Heather?

5:40:38We do not have Heather. Harry

5:40:40Silverstein?

5:40:43Silverstein?

5:40:47Leah Rosenberg?

5:40:54Trinity

5:40:55Kellaracos, followed by Akuna NA, then

5:40:59Grace L.

5:41:00Trinity?

5:41:09Akuna NA?

5:41:13Akuna, you have the floor. If you can

5:41:14unmute yourself, 1 minute.

5:41:18>> Hello.

5:41:20>> Hi, we can hear you. Please go ahead.

5:41:22>> Hi. Uh my name is Akuna. I'm a Cambridge

5:41:25resident. Um I'd like to speak in favor

5:41:27of policy orders 7 and 8. Um folks may

5:41:31not want to intervene in foreign policy

5:41:33issues, but the reality is that our

5:41:36investment in um these well-known

5:41:39companies um funding and fueling the

5:41:42genocide in Gaza in Palestine.

5:41:44Um

5:41:45the the reality is our money is being

5:41:47spent there and it gives us uh the

5:41:50opportunity

5:41:51um

5:41:52to state something. It gives us the

5:41:54right to say something. It gives us the

5:41:55obligation to say something. Um if if

5:41:58there's a cent going to mass murder and

5:42:01destruction, I want to say no to that.

5:42:04Um in this moment this moment is similar

5:42:07to that of the struggle around apartheid

5:42:10in South Africa and that it was divisive

5:42:13and people had to fight and stand up for

5:42:14what was right then and that's what

5:42:16we're trying to do now. We have to

5:42:17divest. Thank you.

5:42:20>> Our next speaker is Grace L followed by

5:42:24Gowri Vijayakumar, then Zion Sheeran.

5:42:28Grace, you have the floor. Please go

5:42:30ahead. You have 1 minute.

5:42:34>> Hi, can you hear me?

5:42:35>> We can. Please go ahead.

5:42:37>> Excellent. Good evening. Uh my name is

5:42:38Grace and I live in Somerville, but I

5:42:41work for the city of Cambridge.

5:42:43Uh I'm here to express my support for

5:42:45divesting city pension funds from

5:42:47companies engaged in the Israeli

5:42:48genocide against Palestinians and for

5:42:50boycotting and avoiding future

5:42:51involvement with those companies. In my

5:42:54role [snorts] uh with the city, I work

5:42:55with a lot of children. Um and someone

5:42:58earlier um she several people mentioned

5:43:00the James Baldwin quote, "The children

5:43:02are always ours, every single one of

5:43:03them, all over the globe."

5:43:06It should not ever be a question whether

5:43:07or not to put our money into weapons

5:43:09that kill children and their parents and

5:43:11their neighbors.

5:43:13I am fully in support of these

5:43:16ordinances and I ask that you would

5:43:19support them as well. Thank you.

5:43:21>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Gowri

5:43:24Vijaya Kumar followed by Zion Sherin

5:43:27then Rabbi Yoni. Gowri, you have the

5:43:29floor. Please go ahead. 1 minute.

5:43:33>> Hi, can you hear me?

5:43:35>> We can hear you. Please go ahead.

5:43:37>> My name is Gowri and I live in

5:43:39Strawberry Hill. I'm the proud parent of

5:43:42two children in the Cambridge public

5:43:43schools.

5:43:44I'm calling on the city council to

5:43:46divest from genocide.

5:43:48A couple of years ago my then 6-year-old

5:43:50asked me, "What does it matter what we

5:43:52do here in Cambridge for people so far

5:43:54away in Palestine?"

5:43:55Like many parents, I've been struggling

5:43:57to explain to him why I brought him into

5:43:59a world where 64,000 children could be

5:44:02killed and injured and the world stood

5:44:03by.

5:44:05Many of us here are parents and I want

5:44:06to say we all worry about our children

5:44:08being targeted for who they are. So, we

5:44:10should all care that a UN commission

5:44:11found that the Israeli military

5:44:13deliberately targeted children. I told

5:44:15my child that commitments to justice go

5:44:17beyond Cambridge's borders because our

5:44:18liberation is tied up with the

5:44:19liberation of all people everywhere. I

5:44:22didn't even know yet that 28 million of

5:44:23dollars of our city's money was invested

5:44:25in bulldozing Palestinian homes. The

5:44:28question is simple. Will we continue to

5:44:29enable war crimes? Let's invest our

5:44:31money in places that reflect our values

5:44:33so our kids can someday look back at

5:44:34this moment and be proud of our city.

5:44:36>> Our next speaker is Zion Sherin followed

5:44:39by Rabbi Yoni

5:44:41then Dina Alami. Zion, please go ahead.

5:44:45>> Hi, Zion Sherin.

5:44:46Madam Mayor, through you, how many on

5:44:48the council have run like heavy

5:44:51equipment, whether it's a backhoe or a

5:44:53bulldozer?

5:44:55Any hands? Anybody in the audience?

5:44:58Okay, we have one or two.

5:45:00My point is um, hearing a lot of people

5:45:03talk about different countries that they

5:45:04grew up in, it made me think of where I

5:45:06grew up. I grew up in a blue-collar,

5:45:09rural area where people work really

5:45:11hard, and a lot of people aren't making

5:45:12that much money. One of the companies

5:45:14that I saw on this list was Caterpillar.

5:45:16It's something that I grew up working

5:45:18around. It's something that you'll see

5:45:20on farms. It's something I would be

5:45:22willing to bet the city uses when it

5:45:23comes to snow removal. Those sort of

5:45:25companies, one, it's American-based.

5:45:28It's America-built. It's really

5:45:29important for our economy. I don't think

5:45:31that's what we should be targeting. Now,

5:45:33I'm not here to defend stuff like

5:45:34Palantir or places that make bombs, but

5:45:36I also don't see why someone who makes

5:45:38bombs or landmines should not be on this

5:45:40list just cuz they don't have a contract

5:45:42with IDF. So, I think that focusing it

5:45:44on places that are actually building,

5:45:47you know, mass destruction.

5:45:48>> Zion. Please send us the rest.

5:45:51We will go now to Rabbi Yoni, followed

5:45:54by Dina Alami, then Yvette Wy.

5:46:03Rabbi Yoni has not joined us. We will go

5:46:05to Dina Alami.

5:46:08Dina, please go ahead. You have 1

5:46:10minute.

5:46:13Hi, my name is Dina. Um, I live in

5:46:15Medford, um, and I work here in

5:46:18Cambridge. I am a Palestinian with

5:46:21family in Gaza who have been directly

5:46:23impacted by Israel's ongoing genocide.

5:46:27I'm here in support of policy orders 7

5:46:29and 8.

5:46:301 minute is nowhere near enough time to

5:46:32describe the horrors that my family has

5:46:35endured at the hands of Israel.

5:46:37Every single member of my family has

5:46:39lost their home, reduced to rubble by

5:46:41Israeli air strikes. I have lost count

5:46:45of how many of my family members have

5:46:46been murdered. My family has endured

5:46:49amputations without anesthesia, many

5:46:52forced to give birth without anesthesia,

5:46:54and devastating shortages of food and

5:46:56water.

5:46:57All of this is happening with the

5:46:59support of US tax dollars, including

5:47:01those contributed by the people of this

5:47:03city.

5:47:04We're nearly 3 years into this genocide

5:47:06and there is no longer any room to look

5:47:09away, to remain silent, or to pretend

5:47:11that this suffering has nothing to do

5:47:12with us.

5:47:14When our tax dollars help fund this dis-

5:47:16>> Your time is expired. Please send us the

5:47:18rest via email. Our next speaker is

5:47:21Yvette Wy, followed by Nipun Dawer, then

5:47:25Joyce Klein.

5:47:26Yvette?

5:47:32Yvette is not with us. We will go to

5:47:33Nipun Dawer.

5:47:41We don't have Nipun. We will go to Joyce

5:47:43Klein.

5:47:47Joyce, if you can unmute yourself,

5:47:48please go ahead. You have the floor.

5:47:51>> Okay. Um

5:47:53I just wanted to say I I It's a very

5:47:55painful argument to listen to all night

5:47:57and I feel a lot for all sides, but I do

5:48:01want the council to listen seriously to

5:48:03those who are against the BDS movement

5:48:06and what it deeply stands for in terms

5:48:08of targeting Israel and anti-Semitism at

5:48:11its roots. Um and I just want to support

5:48:14all the people who have spoken um

5:48:16against this

5:48:18this these policies and um

5:48:21I hope that Cambridge can be a place

5:48:24that is open to all ideas and all people

5:48:26and we can begin talking together to our

5:48:28Palestinian and Israeli friends

5:48:31together. And um

5:48:33remember that Hamas and and the Iranian

5:48:37regime have had a very big part and

5:48:39there's no way we can control what they

5:48:41have done. So, it's a very painful

5:48:44argument and a difficult decision, I'm

5:48:46sure, for the council, but please listen

5:48:49closely to those who have expressed

5:48:51their fears

5:48:52um, if this does get passed.

5:48:55>> Our next speaker is Molly Rottenberg,

5:48:58followed by

5:49:01Ojas K, then Benaz Paz. Molly, please go

5:49:05ahead. You have the floor. Molly is

5:49:07speaker number 324.

5:49:13Molly Rottenberg?

5:49:16If you can unmute.

5:49:24We're going to go to Ojas K, followed by

5:49:28Benaz Paz, then Jack King. Ojas?

5:49:34>> Hi, my name is Jonathan. After 27 years

5:49:36in prison, upon his release, one of the

5:49:38first stops Nelson Mandela made was to

5:49:40Massachusetts, where he credited

5:49:42Cambridge for leading the way with

5:49:44spreading the movement to stop

5:49:45apartheid.

5:49:47But the story starts in 1970 with a

5:49:49young chemist working for Polaroid when

5:49:51she stumbled upon evidence that her

5:49:53employer was enabling the South African

5:49:55state to enable dehumanization of human

5:49:58beings.

5:49:59That young chemist is someone you all

5:50:00know, Carolyn Hunter. The City Council

5:50:03in Cambridge passed a resolution

5:50:05kickstarting off the BDS movement, and

5:50:07eventually Congressman Ron Dellums filed

5:50:09the national legislation, which was

5:50:10enacted over a presidential veto.

5:50:13Cambridge has stood on the right side of

5:50:15history, and it can do so again tomorrow

5:50:16when you wake up. Be on the right side

5:50:18of history. Vote yes to divest, and name

5:50:20clearly that it is the government of

5:50:22Israel that is committing these

5:50:23atrocities. Thank you so much.

5:50:25>> Our next speaker is Benaz Paz, followed

5:50:28by Jack Keen, then David Harbawi.

5:50:32Benaz, you have the floor. 1 minute.

5:50:34Please go ahead.

5:50:39>> Hi, my name is Benaz, and I am a Persian

5:50:42Jew.

5:50:43My family fled Iran because of religious

5:50:46persecution. So, I know firsthand what

5:50:50happens when Jews are left defenseless.

5:50:53Frankly, I am deeply disappointed, but

5:50:56but from what I have heard tonight.

5:50:59I respect the Jewish speakers who

5:51:01support these resolutions, but they do

5:51:03not speak for every Jew and certainly

5:51:06not for families like mine who have

5:51:08experienced persecution.

5:51:10Israel faces real threats from Iran and

5:51:13the terrorist organizations like

5:51:15Hezbollah in Lebanon.

5:51:17Defense and security technologies can

5:51:19protect civilians and help deter further

5:51:22conflict. Divestment deserves serious

5:51:25consideration for those consequences.

5:51:28Palestinian suffering matters, but so

5:51:30does Jewish safety. Human rights must be

5:51:33defended consistently and not

5:51:36selectively.

5:51:37I urge you to vote no on policy orders 7

5:51:40and 8.

5:51:41>> Our next speaker is Jack Keen followed

5:51:45by David Herbowy, then Natalie Anderson.

5:51:49Jack.

5:51:50>> Good evening.

5:51:51My name is Jack Keen, born and raised in

5:51:53Cambridge, and I'm speaking in support

5:51:55of ordinances 7 and 8.

5:51:57Numerous people tonight have opposed

5:51:58this measure on the grounds that it is

5:52:00not a local issue.

5:52:01As many of us have expressed, it is a

5:52:03local issue on account of the fact that

5:52:05millions of our tax dollars fund the

5:52:06genocide of Palestinians.

5:52:08It is also local because as a city that

5:52:10floats its social, political, and

5:52:12educational influence to be not only

5:52:14complicit but to enable this genocide

5:52:16represents the highest degree of

5:52:17hypocrisy.

5:52:19It is shameful to shy away from doing

5:52:21the right thing now.

5:52:22To those who call this ordinance

5:52:23performative, nothing is more

5:52:25performative than to absolve yourselves

5:52:27of responsibility just because you

5:52:28represent Cambridge while funding this

5:52:30apartheid state.

5:52:32Councilors, you have the opportunity to

5:52:33set an example for cities across the

5:52:35country and to stand on the right side

5:52:37of history tonight on behalf of your

5:52:39constituents. So, please vote yes.

5:52:42>> We're going to go back to an earlier

5:52:44skip speaker, Victor Donchenko.

5:52:47Victor, please go ahead. You have 1

5:52:49minute.

5:52:52>> Hello. Thank you. I'm speaking in

5:52:55support of this resolution to uh

5:52:58uh divest from uh companies uh

5:53:01supporting the Israeli genocide in

5:53:03Palestine.

5:53:05Um

5:53:06uh one thing

5:53:08I want to address is

5:53:11uh we've uh heard how uh

5:53:15supposedly divesting from Israel will uh

5:53:20result in people feeling less safe in

5:53:22Cambridge. I think we don't need to take

5:53:25this arguments on its face value.

5:53:28Um

5:53:29I

5:53:30don't see how uh

5:53:33fewer bombs falling on Palestine uh

5:53:36could possibly make uh someone here less

5:53:39safe.

5:53:40Um I think it can only make us all more

5:53:43safe.

5:53:44Um

5:53:45that's my time. Thank you.

5:53:47>> Our next speaker is David Harbawi,

5:53:51followed by Natalie Anderson, then Sarah

5:53:54Napier. David, 1 minute, please go

5:53:57ahead.

5:53:59>> Hello, my name is David. I've spent most

5:54:01of my life in Cambridge.

5:54:03One of the most horrible lies that

5:54:06Zionists today have said about

5:54:07Palestinians was that they raped

5:54:10Israelis on October 7th. Three years

5:54:13into the genocide, they have not

5:54:15provided even one example of a victim

5:54:17alive or dead that was raped by

5:54:19Palestinians on October 7th. And this

5:54:21lie is particularly vile because rape

5:54:25and sexual violence is state policy

5:54:28within Israel.

5:54:29Even when multiple Israeli soldiers were

5:54:32arrested because their gang rape of a

5:54:34Palestinian from Gaza was videotaped and

5:54:37released to the public. Israelis rioted

5:54:40against the prison for the right to rape

5:54:42and celebrated their release, even

5:54:45giving them celebrity interviews on

5:54:47Israeli television.

5:54:49I urge everyone to read the predatory

5:54:53state released by the Palestinian

5:54:54feminist collective for more information

5:54:57on this.

5:54:58Free Palestine.

5:55:00>> Our next speaker is Natalie Anderson,

5:55:02followed by Sarah Napier, then Naila

5:55:05Germanos. Natalie?

5:55:11Natalie has not joined us. We will go to

5:55:14Sarah Napier.

5:55:19Sarah is not here. We will go to Naila

5:55:22Germanos.

5:55:25Naila, you have the floor.

5:55:27Please go ahead, 1 minute.

5:55:31>> Thank you. Um

5:55:33I am here to support the divestment. I

5:55:36was born in Lebanon and came to Tufts

5:55:38University for graduate school in 1968

5:55:41with a scholarship to study physics.

5:55:44I have been a US citizen since 1983.

5:55:47Cambridge was the center of my life and

5:55:49I still shop, go to restaurants, and my

5:55:51gym for more than 15 years is in

5:55:54Cambridge.

5:55:55In 1982, within 4 days of the Israeli

5:55:58invasion of Lebanon, the Israeli army

5:56:00marched into our village. Every home in

5:56:02our village was destroyed. Our house was

5:56:04hit by 18 rockets. My mother died in

5:56:071994 and never saw her home again.

5:56:10My mother-in-law died alone in a nursing

5:56:13home having been displaced twice, once

5:56:15in 1948 from Jerusalem after they were

5:56:18brutally forced out by the Irgun gangs

5:56:20and in a 1983

5:56:22from our village in Lebanon.

5:56:24My family's suffering cannot be compared

5:56:27to the genocide in Gaza or the violent

5:56:29settler attacks in the West Bank and now

5:56:31the Gaza-fication of Lebanon.

5:56:36>> We're going to go back to an earlier

5:56:38skip speaker, Trinity Kellaracos.

5:56:41Then we will go to speaker number 333,

5:56:44Naheed Trivedi, followed by Aris

5:56:47Apollos, then Stephanie Durand.

5:56:49Trinity.

5:56:51Please go ahead, you have the floor, you

5:56:53have 1 minute.

5:56:58>> My name is Trinity Kellaracos, and I

5:57:00live in Riverside.

5:57:02While studying at U-Penn, I heard many

5:57:04Jewish peers weigh in on divestment from

5:57:06Israel.

5:57:07In a profound conversation, one shared

5:57:10his rabbi's heaviest two-word lesson,

5:57:13never again.

5:57:14Never again should Jewish people face

5:57:16such hate. Never again should anyone sit

5:57:19idly by while hatred unfolds.

5:57:22Never again should anyone face such

5:57:24agony because of where you're from or

5:57:27what you believe. As an American, as a

5:57:29Catholic, and as a medical student, I

5:57:32think this is fundamental to what we

5:57:34should all practice.

5:57:36If we can consider whether Cambridge

5:57:38funds should sow violence,

5:57:40we should consider what never again

5:57:42teaches us about Palestine.

5:57:45Hear us implore you to divest now. Hear

5:57:48us say never again. Hear us say free

5:57:51Palestine.

5:57:53Thank you.

5:57:55>> Our next speaker is Naheed Trivedi,

5:57:58followed by Aris Apollos, then Stephanie

5:58:01Durand. Naheed?

5:58:04Naheed has not joined, we will go to

5:58:06Aris Apollos.

5:58:11>> My name is Aris Apollos. I'm a

5:58:1214-year-old high school student, and I'm

5:58:14speaking tonight in support of

5:58:15divestment from companies complicit in

5:58:17genocide and apartheid. Cambridge's tax

5:58:20dollars should not be funding the

5:58:21Israeli war machine or any war machine

5:58:24at that. Over 28 million dollars are

5:58:27invested in companies that are directly

5:58:29complicit in Israel's genocide in Gaza.

5:58:32What that means is that 28 million

5:58:34dollars are invested in the slaughter of

5:58:36children just like me. Just this past

5:58:38week a 4-year-old girl watched as her

5:58:40mother burned to death as a result of an

5:58:43Israeli bomb. Let that sink in for a

5:58:45moment. A 4-year-old child watched as

5:58:49her mother burned to death.

5:58:51Cambridge is not helpless. We have the

5:58:53ability to make change in the standing

5:58:54up to apartheid and genocide just like

5:58:57how we did in 1980 with South Africa. I

5:58:59hope that you all move forward in making

5:59:01the right decision tonight. The decision

5:59:03for justice, for peace, and for world

5:59:05for both kids like myself and for those

5:59:08in Palestine. Free Palestine.

5:59:11>> Next we have speaker number 335,

5:59:14Stephanie Durand, followed by Karen

5:59:16Choi, then Craig McDonald. Stephanie, 1

5:59:19minute. Please go ahead.

5:59:21>> in favor of divestment. I'm an

5:59:23anti-displacement activist here in

5:59:25Cambridge, and true solidarity means the

5:59:28right for all people, including

5:59:30Palestinians, to stay put. The lucky

5:59:32ones are displaced. The rest are bombed.

5:59:37I'm a proud and long-time Cantabrigian.

5:59:40Before living here in Cambridge, I was

5:59:43born and raised for 7 years in Haiti.

5:59:45Haiti, as you all know, is the first and

5:59:47only republic formed from the

5:59:49collaboration

5:59:50of formerly kidnapped enslaved Africans

5:59:52and indigenous people in revolution

5:59:55against their colonizers.

5:59:57Our ancestors took up the mission and

6:00:00charged us all with the mission to stand

6:00:02up against oppression everywhere.

6:00:04I have taken up this charge, the duty to

6:00:07speak in support of Palestinians, the

6:00:10oppressed group

6:00:12in Palestine.

6:00:14And so,

6:00:15if you would have voted against slavery,

6:00:18if you would not have funded pensions

6:00:20with apartheid blood money,

6:00:22>> email us through Remainder. Your time

6:00:24has expired. Our next speaker is Karen

6:00:27Choi, followed by Craig McDonald, then

6:00:30Neil Rohr.

6:00:32Karen, you have the floor. 1 minute.

6:00:37>> Hello, my name is Karen. I'm a recent

6:00:39recent Harvard College graduate and I've

6:00:41lived in Cambridge for 5 years. Today,

6:00:44I'm speaking in support of the Harvard

6:00:45Square Kiosk. I run this snail mail

6:00:47station and it's really found a home

6:00:49there. Every few weeks, I sit outside

6:00:51and invite passersby to send letter mail

6:00:53to their loved ones. Some stay for 5

6:00:55minutes, and others for 2 hours, but

6:00:57what's true across the board is the

6:00:58absolute joy and gratitude for the

6:01:00kiosk. What starts as a curiosity to

6:01:03physical writing in a digital age always

6:01:05turns into a heartfelt conversation

6:01:07about the human need to care for one

6:01:09another and the ability to slow down.

6:01:11The kiosk serves tourists, families,

6:01:13students, and residents alike. To my

6:01:15surprise, neighbors in support of the

6:01:17kiosk have also returned on multiple

6:01:18occasions with gifts

6:01:20such as a bright yellow typewriter, an

6:01:22now integral part of the station, a

6:01:23booklet of international stamps to send

6:01:26mail across the world, and washi tape

6:01:28for kids to decorate till their hearts

6:01:29content. My heart is so full. I'm lucky

6:01:31to be able to share this experience with

6:01:33others, and I hope the Harvard Square

6:01:34Kiosk stays a vital part of Cambridge

6:01:36for a long time to come. Thank you.

6:01:39>> Our next speaker is Craig McDonald,

6:01:42followed by Neil Rohr, then Manuel

6:01:44Martinez. Craig?

6:01:48Craig is not here. We will go to Neil

6:01:49Rohr, followed by Manuel Martinez, then

6:01:53Alex Mills.

6:01:55Neil?

6:01:58Neil is not here.

6:02:01Manuel Martinez?

6:02:09Alex Mills?

6:02:13Alex, if you can unmute yourself, you

6:02:15You the floor. Please go ahead.

6:02:17>> Uh yeah, my name is Alex Mills. I live

6:02:19in Somerville.

6:02:21I'm incredibly proud that my town passed

6:02:22a referendum to divest from genocide and

6:02:24is now in the process of passing

6:02:26divestment legislation. And I'm

6:02:27overjoyed that you as legislators have

6:02:29the opportunity to do to do the same.

6:02:32I've seen some comments from detractors

6:02:34saying that one town can't change

6:02:36Israel's behavior. They said that in

6:02:38Somerville, too. And then I say, even if

6:02:40you believe the Cambridge money will not

6:02:42have an impact.

6:02:44Um

6:02:46Divestment has to start somewhere.

6:02:48Other jurisdictions, other electorates,

6:02:50other politicians will see what's

6:02:51possible and follow our lead. You can be

6:02:53at the tip of a sea change against mass

6:02:55murder. That's the right place for

6:02:57Cambridge to be as it is the right place

6:02:59for Somerville to be. If it can't start

6:03:01here, then where? Thank you.

6:03:04>> Our next speaker is Andy Fischer,

6:03:08followed by G. Wyman, then Julia

6:03:10Lieberger.

6:03:12Andy?

6:03:19Andy, if you can unmute yourself, you

6:03:21have the floor.

6:03:24>> Hi, my name is Andy Fischer. I organize

6:03:26with Cambridge DSA and I'm speaking in

6:03:28support of the divestment ordinances um

6:03:31on tonight's agenda.

6:03:32Um

6:03:34power of tonight and the fact that we

6:03:36are still here talking about this issue.

6:03:39Um I know it it takes an incredible

6:03:41amount of labor to to preserve these

6:03:43spaces and and allow them to continue

6:03:45into the evening, and I want to thank

6:03:46everybody for allowing that to happen.

6:03:48Um

6:03:49I don't have a lot to say that hasn't

6:03:50been said, but I just wanted to

6:03:53talking about this issue of divestment.

6:03:56Um it's it's not about persecuting a

6:03:58particular identity. It's because we are

6:04:01in Cambridge providing material support

6:04:04um to yeah, you know, genocide. And and

6:04:08so it is

6:04:09real support that we are talking about

6:04:11tonight. I am not okay with our tax

6:04:14dollars being directly responsible for

6:04:17the killing of children across

6:04:20the world. Thank you.

6:04:22>> Our next speaker is speaker number 343,

6:04:25G. Wyman. Followed by Julia Leiburger,

6:04:29then Kieran Nashad.

6:04:39G. Wyman, if you can unmute yourself,

6:04:41you have the floor.

6:04:47Glenna?

6:04:52We will come back.

6:04:54We're going to move on to Julia

6:04:56Leiburger, followed by Kieran Nashad,

6:05:00then Heather Hoffman. Julia,

6:05:031 minute.

6:05:04>> Okay.

6:05:05My name is Julia Leiburger. I'm a Jewish

6:05:07American long-time resident of Brookline

6:05:09who's in community with many of the

6:05:10residents here in Cambridge. I'm

6:05:11speaking in favor of divesting Cambridge

6:05:13from the state of Israel. Needless to be

6:05:15said, we have long reached a point in

6:05:17which it has become undeniably clear

6:05:19that not only has the state of Israel

6:05:20been carrying out a genocide against the

6:05:22Palestinian people throughout the entire

6:05:24duration of its 75-year occupation, but

6:05:26it is also one of the most

6:05:27well-documented genocides in history. To

6:05:29say otherwise is blatant genocide

6:05:31denial. We are far past due for

6:05:33meaningful material change that will

6:05:34hold Israel accountable for their

6:05:35actions. To those of you who are even

6:05:38thinking of

6:05:39deciding tonight to vote against

6:05:40divestment, not only are you cowards,

6:05:42not only are you genocide deniers, but

6:05:44are full-on murderers if that's what of

6:05:46the decision that you want to make. As a

6:05:47long as long as Cambridge tax dollars

6:05:50are invested in companies that enable

6:05:52genocide, we are setting ourselves up to

6:05:53face the imminent consequences of our

6:05:55own actions or lack thereof, considering

6:05:57the global implications of letting a

6:05:58genocidal expansionist state go rogue

6:06:01with endless violence that has

6:06:02eventually that will eventually leave no

6:06:04one on Earth untouched. It is beyond

6:06:06outrageous that so little material

6:06:07change has been made in over a year.

6:06:09>> Your time is expired. Thank you.

6:06:12We will go to Kieran Nash followed by

6:06:14Heather Hoffman, then Dan Totten.

6:06:17Kieran?

6:06:18>> Hi, can you hear me?

6:06:18>> We can.

6:06:20>> Hi, my name's Kieran. I live in Porter

6:06:22and I go to work every day knowing that

6:06:24my money is causing fires that are

6:06:25burning Palestinian journalists,

6:06:27doctors, aid workers, and civilians to

6:06:28death. I'm disgusted with myself when I

6:06:30see my money going to companies like

6:06:32Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Palantir

6:06:34corporations that make money from

6:06:35slaughtering and oppressing people both

6:06:37in the well-documented genocide in

6:06:38Palestine and in America through an

6:06:40emerging surveillance state. I go to the

6:06:41gym and work out every day wondering how

6:06:43many Palestinian athletes have been

6:06:44rendered unable to practice whatever

6:06:46athletics they love because they face

6:06:47starvation, amputation, and trauma from

6:06:49Israel's genocide which everyone here

6:06:51has likely financially contributed

6:06:53through their purchases and or taxes.

6:06:55Israel has crippled an entire generation

6:06:57of people and it's insane to me that

6:06:58some speakers claim to be for all

6:06:59children while advocating to keep giving

6:07:01money to make bombs that kill them. This

6:07:03is not a foreign affair as some speakers

6:07:05claim as it's our money going to these

6:07:07defense contractors and these

6:07:08atrocities. Vote yes on 78 to make sure

6:07:10our city abides by international law.

6:07:12Every dollar not used to make bombs

6:07:14makes a difference and can be used

6:07:15elsewhere. We're all safer with less

6:07:17missiles and less bombs in the world.

6:07:19Thank you.

6:07:20>> Our next speaker is Heather Hoffman

6:07:23followed by Dan Totten, then Eugene Lee.

6:07:26Heather, you have the floor. Please go

6:07:28ahead. You have 1 minute.

6:07:34>> Hello, Heather Hoffman, 213 Hurley

6:07:36Street. I'm going to start by thanking

6:07:39Naomi for keeping her cool and keeping

6:07:42her place in that immense list.

6:07:45Um

6:07:46I will repeat my

6:07:48perennial remark about the list of

6:07:52litigation that you guys don't even care

6:07:54about anymore and it doesn't include the

6:07:56inclusionary zoning lawsuits which you

6:07:59should.

6:08:00Um

6:08:01with respect to a fare-free T, that

6:08:05would be fantastic.

6:08:07Um

6:08:08any speeding up of the number one would

6:08:11be great. Um and Medicare for all

6:08:15but better, absolutely.

6:08:17Please protect Magazine Beach. And with

6:08:20respect to the coordination of

6:08:23permitting authorities, perhaps they

6:08:25should talk to each other. And they

6:08:28should all know that they're looking at

6:08:30the same thing and making decisions

6:08:33about it. Thank you.

6:08:35>> Thank you.

6:08:37Our next speaker is Dan Totten, followed

6:08:40by Eugene Lee, then Lina Arora.

6:08:43Dan, you have the floor. Please go

6:08:45ahead. 1 minute.

6:08:48>> Yes, hi. My name is Dan Totten, 54

6:08:51Bishop Allen Drive. Um

6:08:53I I just I think the question is really

6:08:56here is how you how do you want to be

6:08:58remembered? Because it's just very

6:09:01obvious

6:09:02um

6:09:03to that there's a genocide happening and

6:09:07um I think that tonight is one of those

6:09:09nights that um

6:09:12people will look back on

6:09:14and and use to understand what kind of

6:09:17city councilor you were.

6:09:20And I'm not just talking about your kids

6:09:22and your grandkids cuz that's something

6:09:24that you'll have to live with yourself,

6:09:25but I'm talking about people 50 to 100

6:09:28years from now who um look back on this

6:09:33time and look back on the evolution of

6:09:39the movement in support of Palestine

6:09:42particularly over the last decade and

6:09:45um who use this vote on this issue to

6:09:51evaluate your

6:09:54career. And so I just encourage you to

6:09:56really think about that, and then

6:09:57finally um I just want to point out that

6:10:01ordinances generally get hearings in the

6:10:02ordinance committee, so that would be

6:10:04the next step, and I hope that's what

6:10:06happens. Thank you.

6:10:08>> Thank you. Our next speaker is Eugene

6:10:10Lee, followed by Lena Aurora,

6:10:13then James Williamson.

6:10:15Eugene?

6:10:18We do not have Eugene. We will go to

6:10:20Lena Aurora,

6:10:21followed by James Williamson, then Marty

6:10:24Levin.

6:10:25Lena?

6:10:27Please go ahead. You have the floor. You

6:10:28have 1 minute.

6:10:31>> Hi. Thank you. Um

6:10:34yeah, I am a Cambridge resident, and uh

6:10:37I'm speaking in support of policy orders

6:10:397 and 8 uh for divestment. Um you know,

6:10:43as a a member of the thriving Jewish

6:10:45community in Cambridge, um I I know that

6:10:49some people consider BDS to um they've

6:10:52been raised to understand BDS to be

6:10:54synonymous with anti-Semitism without

6:10:57much understanding of what BDS really

6:10:59means.

6:11:01And so, I really encourage those people

6:11:03to to look into what BDS means and to

6:11:05understand it. It does not equate to

6:11:07anti-Semitism. It equates to where we're

6:11:10spending our taxpayer dollars. I'll also

6:11:13say for people who are bringing up, why

6:11:15are we singling out Israel? Why are we

6:11:16not talking about Sudan or Iran? The key

6:11:20difference is just where our dollars go.

6:11:22Um our taxpayer dollars don't go to fund

6:11:25Raytheon um causing widespread famine,

6:11:28hunger, and conflict in Sudan. It does

6:11:30for Israel. And so, we do stand against

6:11:33all immoral action, but it's about our

6:11:35dollars. Thank you.

6:11:38>> Thank you.

6:11:38>> Thank you.

6:11:39>> Our next speaker is

6:11:41James Williamson, followed by

6:11:44Marty Levin.

6:11:46James, please go ahead. You have the

6:11:47floor.

6:11:52>> Can you hear me?

6:11:54>> We We can. Thank you.

6:11:57>> Sorry there's

6:11:58a lot of train in the background.

6:12:01First of all, I wasn't planning to speak

6:12:03about this, but I feel I'm obliged to.

6:12:08First of all, imagine that you

6:12:09participated in the Warsaw Ghetto

6:12:11Uprising

6:12:13and you've been rounded up. You managed

6:12:14to survive. You've been rounded up and

6:12:16you're

6:12:17waiting deportation to extermination

6:12:20camp, maybe to Auschwitz.

6:12:22And somebody comes along and says,

6:12:24"Don't be too disruptive. Don't clap.

6:12:27Don't yell.

6:12:28Just keep quiet. Be civil." Um

6:12:32I want to point out two things.

6:12:34First of all, um if you like Donald

6:12:37Trump,

6:12:38you're really going to not like this

6:12:41resolution or this policy order. Donald

6:12:43Trump and Israel I've been are joined at

6:12:46the hip.

6:12:47Uh read John Mearsheimer's book from 20

6:12:50years ago, The Israel Lobby, and listen

6:12:53to some of his recent podcasts. Thank

6:12:55you.

6:12:57>> Our next speaker is Marty Levin.

6:13:00Marty, please go ahead.

6:13:02>> I believe what makes us truly human in

6:13:05is our wisdom, compassion, and love.

6:13:10And I must say I'm sick at heart and in

6:13:13anguish knowing that so many people in

6:13:16Palestine have been murdered by the

6:13:18genocidal policies of the Israeli

6:13:20government and the Israeli military,

6:13:23including according to a a report by a

6:13:25highly respected doctor, babies who have

6:13:28purposely been shot in the head by the

6:13:30Israeli military.

6:13:32How can we in Cambridge, having a

6:13:35reputation of being a very progressive

6:13:37and caring community, continue to

6:13:40support actions

6:13:41that destroy and end Palestinian lives,

6:13:44including the most vulnerable of the

6:13:46Palestinian population, it's babies.

6:13:51Not to mention destroying the

6:13:52infrastructure, which means destroying

6:13:54the foundation of the quality of the

6:13:56life.

6:13:58I urge you to divest. Please.

6:14:04>> Madam Mayor.

6:14:06That is all that were signed up to

6:14:08speak.

6:14:08>> So that concludes public comment. I want

6:14:11to thank Naomi for

6:14:13leading us through the public comment.

6:14:15Um I want to thank all the speakers who

6:14:17came out tonight

6:14:19uh

6:14:19at City Hall and on Zoom.

6:14:23With that, on a motion by Vice Vice

6:14:26Mayor to close public comment, all those

6:14:28in favor say I. I. I. Those against say

6:14:30no. The eyes have it. So right now it's

6:14:3311:44.

6:14:35Uh we have a lot of the agenda to get

6:14:39through. My suggestion would be to um

6:14:44recess until our 9:00 a.m. meeting in

6:14:46the morning,

6:14:47uh where we can continue the um

6:14:51remaining items. And so uh uh I would

6:14:54take a motion to do that.

6:14:55>> for that?

6:14:56>> Yes.

6:14:57>> Okay. Well, then I would move that we

6:14:58recess.

6:14:59>> So Councilor Simmons moves that we

6:15:02recess until our 9:00 a.m. City Council

6:15:04meeting in the morning, where we'll

6:15:06continue the remainder of the items.

6:15:08We'll do a roll call.

6:15:10>> Councilor Alzubi.

6:15:12>> Yes. Vice Mayor Zeim.

6:15:13>> Yes.

6:15:13>> Yes. Councilor O'Flaherty.

6:15:15>> Yes.

6:15:16>> Yes. Councilor McGovern.

6:15:18>> Yes.

6:15:18>> Yes. Councilor Nolan.

6:15:19>> Yes.

6:15:20>> Yes. Councilor Simmons.

6:15:21>> Yes.

6:15:22>> Yes. Councilor Sabrina Wheeler.

6:15:23>> Yes.

6:15:24>> Yes. Councilor Zuse.

6:15:25>> Yes.

6:15:26>> Yes. Mayor Siddiqui.

6:15:27>> Yes.

6:15:27>> Yes. And you have nine members recorded

6:15:29in the affirmative.

6:15:30>> Good night.