The National Interest Foundation Newsletter
Issue 35, March 5, 2020
Welcome to our latest edition of the NIF newsletter. In this week’s headlines: voters in 14 states cast ballots in Super Tuesday’s presidential primaries, the stock market and U.S. economy are affected by the growing number of coronavirus cases, Israelis vote in parliamentary elections for the third time in less than a year, and tensions mount in Syria regarding the ongoing crisis in Idlib.
Super Tuesday
Voters in 14 states and American Samoa headed to the polls on Super Tuesday earlier this week. (Photo from AP)
Super Tuesday 2020 Recap
Voters in 14 states and the U.S. territory of American Samoa headed to the polls to cast their ballots in Super Tuesday’s presidential primaries. Former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the winner in 10 of the 14 states, while Senator Bernie Sanders won the remaining 4. Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg won the primary in American Samoa, but later ended his presidential campaign and endorsed Biden after a poor performance in most of the 14 states up for grabs. Senator Elizabeth Warren followed suit and ended her campaign on Thursday as well. Pledged delegates are awarded proportionally by the Democratic Party to candidates who win at least 15% of the vote in a particular state. Following Super Tuesday’s results, the two frontrunners – Biden and Sanders – lead the field in pledged delegates. Biden has 596 and Sanders has 531. A total of 1,991 delegates are needed in order to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination.
Coronavirus Fears
The growing coronavirus epidemic sent stocks plunging and resulted in the worst week for the U.S. market since the 2008 financial crisis. (Photo from The New York Times)
Stock Market and U.S. Economy Hit by Coronavirus Fears
The continued spread of the coronavirus has impacted markets in the United States and abroad, as businesses and investors begin to feel the effects of the global pandemic. The U.S. stock market plunged to its worst week since the 2008 financial crisis, as the number of cases in the United States grew. The Federal Reserve and central banks around the world announced interest rate cuts to try and slow the downturn and boost confidence in the world economy. The death toll from the virus rose to 11 in the United States on Wednesday, with 126 diagnosed cases. Around the world, over 93,000 individuals have been diagnosed with the virus, including over 80,000 in China, where the outbreak began. To date, the coronavirus has claimed over 3,200 lives around the world.
Israeli Election
Israel held its third parliamentary election in less than a year to try and break the country’s political deadlock. (Photo from IMEU)
Israel Holds Its Third Election in Less than a Year
Israel held its third election in less than a year on Monday, after the previous two failed to yield conclusive results. The two major parties contesting the election are the conservative Likud, led by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the centrist Blue and White, led by former military commander Benny Gantz. Despite fears of voter fatigue and the risk of the coronavirus, early results showed the highest voter turnout in an Israeli election since 2015. Netanyahu’s Likud party appears to have beaten Blue and White by a small margin, and the former’s right-wing bloc is projected to win 58 of the 120 seats in parliament, meaning that they need an additional 3 seats in order to form a 61-seat majority in the Knesset. If Netanyahu is tasked with the first opportunity to form a coalition, he will have to do so while also facing his impending criminal corruption trial on March 17th, which leaves the Israeli political climate in a state of major uncertainty. In an additional note, the Joint List – a political alliance of the main Arab-majority parties in Israel – won 15 seats in the Knesset, marking this election as their strongest-ever showing.
Ongoing Crisis in Idlib
Tensions between Syria and Turkey have escalated over the last remaining rebel enclave in Idlib province. (Photo from Getty Images)
Tensions Mount in Syria Regarding the Ongoing Crisis in Idlib
Tensions have escalated between Syria and Turkey in the province of Idlib, home to the last enclave of rebel fighters in the long-running Syrian revolution. Syrian government forces have recently increased their attacks on targets in Idlib, which has resulted in casualties to both combatants and civilians. Most recently, 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an attack by Syrian forces. In response, Turkey struck 200 Syrian government targets, and inflicted 309 casualties on Syrian soldiers. 15 civilians were also killed when an air attack targeted a poultry farm on the outskirts of Idlib city center that was serving as a place of refuge for displaced Syrians. The airstrike was carried out by Russian forces who are in Syria to provide support to the government of Bashar al-Assad. Despite siding with Syria in its war, Russia also has close ties to Turkey, and Vladimir Putin is meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Moscow this week to discuss a cessation of hostilities.
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