Jewish mayor of Providence loses Democratic primary to anti-Israel challenger

Brett Smiley, the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, is defeated in the Democratic primary by David Morales, a 27-year-old Democratic socialist who attacked the incumbent over his support for Israel.

Morales, a state representative, won the Wednesday primary with 53% of the vote. He is heavily favored to win the November election.

During the campaign, Morales repeatedly criticized Smiley’s support for Israel, which Morales accuses of committing genocide in Gaza.

Smiley converted to Judaism and held a bar mitzvah while in office. He has also traveled to Israel as mayor.

In December, Morales criticized Smiley for attending the North American Mayors’ Summit Against Antisemitism, held by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, whose Mayors Advisory Board Smiley chairs.

“To me that is unacceptable,” Morales said at the time, citing the group’s opposition to anti-Israel activism. “The mayor should be more concerned with fighting the affordability crisis in Providence than defending a genocide.”

Morales also supports a ballot initiative that city residents will vote on this November saying Providence should refrain from investing in “foreign countries conducting ethnic cleansing, apartheid, illegal military occupation, or genocide.”

The language of the actual ballot petition does not mention Israel, nor any other country, by name. But the signature campaign was led by Providence for Palestine, a local activist coalition, and both its proponents and opponents have framed the measure as a referendum on Israel and the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.