The National Interest Foundation Newsletter

Issue 13, September 26, 2019

Thanks for tuning in to our latest edition of the NIF Newsletter. In this week’s domestic headlines: a conversation between President Trump and a foreign leader prompts a whistleblower complaint and 23 states sue the Trump administration over auto emissions rules. Meanwhile, around the world: the U.S. announces new sanctions on Iran and the Joint List is set to become the third-largest party in Israel’s Knesset after high turnout in Arab communities during last week’s election.

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United States

Whistleblower Scandal

Trump’s Conversation with Foreign Leader Prompts Complaint

A telephone conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and newly elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July is at the center of an intelligence community whistleblower complaint. According to reports, Trump pressured Zelensky “about eight times” to work with his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, on an investigation into the business dealings of Democratic Presidential frontrunner Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. Trump has acknowledged that he discussed the former Vice President on the call, but has accused the whistleblower of being “partisan” despite the fact that he has admitted not knowing their identity.

Auto Emissions Lawsuit

23 States Sue the Trump Administration Over Auto Emissions Rules

California and 22 other states, including New York, Michigan, and Massachusetts, are suing the Trump administration to block them from undoing the state’s authority to set its own vehicle emissions standards. Federal law sets standards for how much pollution can come from cars and trucks, but since the 1970s, California and 13 other states have been given permission to set their own rules because of a higher volume of automobiles on the road. The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration unlawfully removed the waiver granted under the Clean Air Act and that their decision to do so exceeds the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s authority.

                                 Around the World

Iran

United States Announces New Sanctions on Iran

President Donald Trump announced new sanctions on Iran’s central bank and its sovereign wealth fund, just days after the attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities, which his administration has blamed on the Iranian regime. These will be added to existing U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil and financial institutions. Ever since the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May of 2018, the Trump administration has continued to ramp up economic sanctions on Iran. These latest sanctions are designed to cut off any remaining ties between Iran and the U.S. financial system. During his announcement of these new sanctions, Trump called them the toughest ever imposed on another country by the United States.

Israel

Joint List is Set to Become the Third-Largest Party in Israel’s Knesset

Following last week’s election, the Joint List – an alliance of the four main Arab political parties in Israel – is set to become the third-largest party in Israel’s Knesset. High turnout in Arab communities allowed the group to win 13 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, making it the third-largest bloc behind only the Blue and White party and the Likud party. During consultations on Sunday with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, 10 of the 13 Joint List members recommended the Blue and White party’s Benny Gantz to be the next Prime Minister over Benjamin Netanyahu. On Wednesday, Rivlin announced that he is tasking Netanyahu with forming a coalition government, giving the Prime Minister up to six weeks to establish a majority coalition in the Knesset.