Responsibility

It's hard not to notice that, despite the troubles in the Middle East, the towns of Methuen, Springfield and Ipswich do not find their citizens at each other's throats over the Arab-Israeli conflict. Nor are aldermen or town meeting members in Medford, Winchester or Malden sorting through hundreds of e-mails a day, trying to rapidly learn enough to officially come down on one side or the other.

The difference between Somerville and virtually every other community in America is that we have chosen to turn a conflict that has challenged and perplexed wise and committed men and women for generations into official city business.

Up until now, the city's aldermen cannot be blamed for importing a conflict that has only caused bitterness and division. In fact, it is to their credit that they were targeted by a worldwide boycott movement that correctly identified Somerville as a town with a commitment to human rights. Our elected officials also performed their duty to listen to the input of citizens, and allow local requests to go through proper legislative channels, even if it is now apparent to all that the "grassroots" Somerville divestiture movement is merely the latest front for the same non-Somervillians that have been responsible for most of the anti-Israeli activity in the Boston area for the last twenty-five years.

That said, if this issue continues to roil our town past next week's votes, then responsibility will pass from the boycott group that failed to sneak their divestiture petition into law under the public radar to our own city officials.

Given how much all of us have had to learn in the last three weeks, how many aldermen now feel they have crammed enough to be able to speak with understanding on this issue, much less act on it in an official capacity? Do we in Somerville now know so much more than municipal leaders nationwide who have not touched this issue? Are our leaders wiser than the thousands of elected officials who have chosen to keep the Middle East out of local politics, or have leaders outside of Somerville shown wisdom by avoiding matters outside of their jurisdiction that can only cause division and pain?

While the Divestiture Group has taken great pains to dress their anti-Israel petition in the acceptable clothes of human rights and social responsibility, one need only visit their Web site to discover the courser language that is being prepared if their movement succeeds in Somerville. Make no mistake, the Somerville alderman are being asked to brand Israel a racist, apartheid state, alone in the world in deserving economic punishment. If divestiture passes (even in a watered-down version), the petitioners will be gone, transmitting a message they have succeeded in putting into the mouth of Somerville to the world, while the rest of us remain behind to deal with the wreckage.

As bad as things have gotten since news of the boycott first escaped to the public, the alderman can expect to see the full circus descend during next week's committee and full board meetings. They can look forward to citizens who once smiled at each other on the streets waving bloody shirts and gruesome photographs at one another. People with honest political differences will be branded as "enemies of human rights," or murderers with "blood on their hands."

If our leaders like what they see and want to have it continue for months or years on end, sucking up the time, energy and good will needed to solve the real problems we face in education, safety, health and transportation, by all means they should let this needless fight continue past next week's votes. But if they want to move the Middle East conflict out of Somerville, they should vote the petition down.

In the months and years to follow, we will be in a position to explore issues like socially responsible investing of our city retirement fund, the virtue (or lack thereof) of the city taking stands on international issues, and even the Middle East peace process. But each of these profound matters requires careful thought and lots of work, and should not be undertaken under pressure to appease a propaganda campaign that has yet to play fair with the people of Somerville. Timing is everything, and next week the time is right for our alderman to defuse the anger generated over the last month by simply saying no to divestiture.