Providence voters to decide Israel-linked divestment measure in November referendum

Voters in Providence, Rhode Island, will face a referendum this November that could lead the city to divest from countries engaged in ethnic cleansing, apartheid, or illegal military occupation. The ballot language itself does not name any specific country, but the campaign was spearheaded by Providence for Palestine, and both supporters and opponents frame it as a vote on Israel and the global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

This vote makes Providence the largest American municipality to bring a divestment measure before the public. Zack Kliger, a lead organizer and member of Jewish Voice for Peace, stated that the public, particularly Democratic voters, increasingly views the situation in Gaza and Palestine as genocide and apartheid, demanding action from leaders.

The referendum's criteria for identifying offending countries would rely on resolutions from international bodies like the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice, as well as rulings from any U.S. court. Some of these bodies have issued findings that could implicate Israel under the ballot's language. Israel and the Trump administration have consistently rejected accusations of genocide.

Divestment efforts targeting Israel have gained traction on the municipal level since the Oct. 7 attacks and the subsequent conflict in Gaza. Last year, Somerville, Massachusetts, passed a non-binding divestment resolution, becoming the first such initiative to pass at the ballot box. Critics of such measures argue they can distract local governments with international issues, potentially incite division within Jewish communities, and pose risks to public pension funds.

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We’re in this moment when the general public at large, and particularly Democratic voters, very much understand what’s going on in Gaza and Palestine as genocide, as apartheid, and want their leaders to take action on it.