City clashes on divestment

washington (jta) | The city council of Somerville, Mass., has delayed a resolution to dump city holdings in Israel.

A vote was postponed until Dec. 7, and Mayor Joseph Curtatone, who spoke against the resolution at the Monday, Nov. 9, meeting, said he would veto it, according to the Boston Globe, which noted that lawmakers could not recall another resolution that had prompted such impassioned debate.

The local Jewish Community Relations Council was “troubled” by the crowd of activists evenly split on the resolution, which urges city investors to “divest from companies involved with Israel’s human rights violations and from Israel Bonds.”

JCRC Executive Director Nancy Kaufman, who organized local leaders to speak against the move, said those in favor of the resolution enlisted the support of Israeli soldiers who refuse to serve in the army, many non-Somerville residents, and members of the Jewish community.

“It’s a sad day when we as Jews are advocating for divestment in Israel,” Kaufman said. This is “just the beginning of something that we’re going to see more of across the country.”

Nashville man may have targeted Jews

washington (jta) | An Iraqi American man arrested on a weapons charge said he had considered attacking the Nashville Jewish community, according to law enforcement officials.

Ahmed Hassan Al-Uqaily, 33, of Tennessee, was charged Nov. 3 for trying to purchase machine guns and hand grenades, and reportedly said he was “going Jihad” because of anger over the situation in his home country, Iraq.

Al-Uqaily was arrested after an undercover sting, in which he reportedly paid an FBI agent for the weapons and ammunition. He said he was considering the Nashville Jewish community as a possible target.

U.S. wants alleged crime boss extradited

washington (jta) | An alleged Israeli underworld boss faces extradition to the United States on drugs charges.

Israeli police arrested Zev Rosenstein on Monday, Nov. 8, following a joint investigation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Rosenstein is suspected of involvement in a Miami drug ring, and could face trial in the United States. Under Israeli extradition laws, he would have to be returned to the Jewish state to serve his sentence. Rosenstein, considered one of Israel’s major crime bosses, denied any wrongdoing. He was expected to fight an extradition request all the way to Israel’s Supreme Court.