Hamtramck City Council passes BDS resolution to cut financial ties with Israel

Hamtramck is the first Michigan city to support the Palestinian Boycott, Divestmen, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which calls on corporations, organizations and individuals to stop investing in companies with ties to Israel.

The council voted 4-0 to pass the resolution at Tuesday’s meeting.

“Every angle — whatever we can we need to support Palestine and to help them out. And this is clearly you need to boycott to using their products. We cannot have taxpayer money to use to kill people,” Mahmood said.

It’s unclear if the city has any pending investments with Israel.

Earlier this year, Hamtramck officials called on President Biden and Congress to move funds from the military budget back to community programs through the “Move the Money” resolution.

Matthew Clark of Berkley, a member of Jewish Voices for Peace’s Detroit chapter, said the BDS movement attempts to put pressure on Israel to comply with international standards of human rights and its treatment of Palestinians.

“Hamtramck would be the first city in the country to pledge to stop investment and procurement with all companies that are targeted by the boycott divestment movement,” states Clark. “That includes companies — for example, like Hewlett Packard, Siemens — companies that ought to do business with municipalities.”

“It’d be very easy for the city to pledge to work with companies that simply comply with standards of human rights,” Clark said.

Hamtramck is the third city in the nation to pass a type of divestment resolution. City leaders say the measure would impact future investments.

Currently, 38 U.S. states penalize companies and organizations that boycott or divest from Israel, according to the Jewish Virtual Library.