But this small town (population 29,000) has just put itself on the map. It became the first US city to boycott Israel. In response to mounting demands from the local community since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza, the Hamtramck City Council voted unanimously to adopt a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution. This requires the city to avoid investing in firms that support the Israeli apartheid regime or deal with vendors targeted by the international BDS movement. BDS is a non-violent, Palestinian-led movement that calls on international civil society to take initiatives to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel and companies that support it until it complies with international law and UN resolutions pertaining to Palestine and Palestinian rights.
Located about eight kilometres north of Detroit, Hamtramck was originally settled by German farmers. The establishment of the Dodge motors plant in 1914 attracted Polish immigrants, who came to form the majority of the population. The small town outside the Motor City then drew in large numbers of immigrants from Yemen, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, as well as Muslims from countries in southeastern Europe, such as Albania, Bosnia, and Kosovo. By the turn of the twenty-first century, Hamtramck had a predominantly Muslim population. It became the only US city with a municipal council consisting entirely of Muslims.
During the past nine months, Hamtramck has seen continuous demonstrations protesting Israeli brutality in Gaza and calling for a ceasefire, acts of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom and self-determination. Following this historic decision, Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib said that it reflected the local community’s overwhelming sense that their tax money should not be used to support the daily killing of women and children that they see daily.
Michigan, and the Detroit area in particular, has a large Arab population, mostly coming from Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and Yemen. Many are concentrated in Dearborn, also on the outskirts of Detroit.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 11 July, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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