Not activating alert sirens resigns. President biden meets with leaders of japan and south korea to shore up alliances amid increasing instability in the pacific. And israels minister for strategic pairs discusses tumultuous politics at home and his countrys diplomatic deal with saudi arabia. Lets not underestimate the impact that an israeli saudi arabia deal could have and would mean at least the beginning of the end of the arabisraeli conflict. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by the ongoing support of these institutions and individuals. And friends of the newshour, including jim and nancy build there and kathy and Paul Anderson. The john s. And james l. Knight foundation, fostering an informed and engaged communities. More at kf. Org. And with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions. And friends of the newshour. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Good evening and welcome to the newshour. The impact of wildfires is being felt on two fronts tonight. In maui, residents are trying to rebuild their lives days after fire scorched part of the island as they mourn the many lives lost. For one city in canadas northwest territories, the fire danger is only just beginning. Traffic mind of the only highway out of yellowknife today while other residents packed airports amid urgent orders to evacuate. I have never seen anything like it and i have never heard anyone speculate that in my lifetime Something Like this would happen. It is a race against time. Wildfire rages just a few miles north of yellowknife, the capital of canadas northwest territories. Forecasters say flames could push strong wind could push the flames into the city this weekend. More than 51,000 square miles have burned so far, far more than the countrys average wildfire season, which typically scorches 9000 square miles. The wildfire danger also spreads to British Columbia as a heat wave brings sweltering temperatures. This weather event has the potential to be the most challenging 24 to 48 hours of the summer from a fire perspective. We are expecting significant growth, and we are expecting our resources to be challenged. Meantime on maui, local authorities face scrutiny after last weeks wildfire wiped away the entire town of lahaina, seemingly without warning. The sirens, as i mentioned earlier, are used primarily for tsunamis, and thats the reason why. Mauis Emergency Services chief, who defended his decision to not sound the alert sirens as the fire raged, resigned overnight, citing health reasons. That is as relief efforts continue. It is a touchy situation right now. For us as a community, of course we are happy that we have our homes, but our heart aches because thats our other neighbors and our families. The search for victims continues with more than 1000 people still missing as of this morning. President biden is scheduled to visit the island on monday. Vanessa here are the latest headlines. A category four hurricane brewing over the Pacific Ocean could weaken and become the first Tropical Storm to reach Southern California in 84 years. It is currently located off mexicos western coast, packing sustained wind of 130 miles per hour. Forecasters expect it to weakened by the time it hits Southern California sunday, but it could bring heavy rain and flash floods to the state and other parts of the southwest. Also parts of the Spanish Island of tannery for are engulfed in smoke and fire tonight. It is the worst wildfire the area has seen in decades, burning sites that make it a Tourist Destination in the canary islands. As Fire Fighters raised to contain the blaze, nearly 8000 people in the affected regions were left fearing for their homes. Human lives are more important, but it could have been avoided. We believe not enough has been done. That is the sorrow we have. It is not the material, it is our lives, our roots, the work of our relatives, of our parents. Vanessa russians say they shot down another Ukrainian Drone over moscow. There were no casualties. Meanwhile, the u. S. Gave its approval for the netherlands and denmark to deliver f16 fighter jets to ukraine. It is unclear when they will enter the conflict, but they could take as long as a year to train the pilots. In Washington State tonight, a fastmoving wildfire has burned more than 3000 acres in spokane county with no containment. The fire has destroyed several buildings. The Washington National guard is helping to evacuate patients from eastern Psychiatric Hospital tonight. Parts of the county are under at level three leave now evacuation. Former first Lady Rosalynn carter celebrated her 91st birthday today in plains, georgia. The Carter Center said festivities included cupcakes, Peanut Butter ice cream, and also releasing butterflies in her garden. Mrs. Carter is the second oldest president ial spouse in u. S. History. She has been diagnosed with dementia while former president jimmy carter continues to receive hospice care. They are the longest married first couple to date. Still to come on the newshour, we examine rising threats against judges, juries, and election workers. Also, david brooks and ruth marcus weigh in on the weeks political headlines. And a comedian talks about her journey to the stage and her first special. This is the pbs newshour from weta studios in washington and in the west from Walter Cronkite school of journalism at Arizona State university. Geoff President Biden today met with the leaders of japan and south korea at camp david. Japan and south korea have long had antagonistic relations, but todays meeting is a new starting point for the two countries. They released cap david principles in which they promised to consult with one another if either felt that her security was threatened. They also to commit they also committed to improving military coordination by sharing information about north korean Ballistic Missile launches. They will expand trilateral military exercises and establish a threeway hotline for crisis communication. President biden said todays agreements would have longlasting effects. This is a historic meeting, but we are about to lay in place a longterm structure for a relationship that will last and have a phenomenal impact not just in asia but around the world. This is a big deal. This is a big deal. Geoff a big deal, he says. How significant are the new agreements . A professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington university focuses on japan and security in asia. Welcome back. It is good to have you here. Thank you for having me on the program. These agreements on joint military and Technology Initiatives come against the backdrop of beijings growing power. In your view, what impact will this have . First of all, i think it enhances deterrence and coordination among the United States, japan, and south korea to counter the aggressive havey or by china, but there could also be a negative consequence of the camp david summit, and that it is it could intensify the consult it could intensify the divide between the United States and south korea and japan on the one hand and china, north korea, and russia on the other hand. As a result of camp david, the other trilateral could respond in ways that could actually undermine the security of japan and south korea. Geoff one imagines the annual joint military exercises between japan and south korea would most anger the chinese government. China just finished its own exercises with russia. How might china respond . Ok, well, what china will do is most likely engage in grays own behavior, engage in more military exercises engage in great zone behavior, engage in more military exercises in japans neighborhood with russia and be more of a restraining source with north korea in terms of the development of its Nuclear Weapons program. The real concern, i think, for japan and south korea is this could lead to a real divide in asia between those countries that seem to be much more dependent on china and the countries in asia that are aligned with the United States. What might this mean for taiwan . Because the three countries have an interest in the Taiwan Strait and the east china sea. Certainly the camp david statement talked about the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. This is something that the leaders of japan and the United States and others have said in statements, but i think the concert as there might not be any kind of constraining factor in terms of the intensification of tensions across the Taiwan Strait. I sense that in both japan and south korea, there is a feeling the United States may be overreacting to some of the provocations in china and in so doing, might be exacerbating the tensions and ultimately increasing the danger of military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Both seoul and tokyo would be very much interested in having the United States engage in a serious dialogue with china in order to stabilize relations with china and tried to refuse try to reduce tensions across the taiwanese strait. Geoff this summit has been a shot in the arm for american diplomacy in asia because the trouble between south korea and japan has sort of been a weak link in washingtons efforts in the pacific. Why was the moment right now to bring this together, and how was the Biden Administration able to do it . I think major credit has to go to president you. Japan and south korea had been locked in tensions regarding the tight labor force issue. Japan insisted the forced labor issue had been resolved in the 1965 normalization process. In the end, president yoon made the Bold Decision to basically make a dramatic concession to japan and have the south koreans pay for the compensation for victims of forced labor. Unfortunately, this has not been a popular decision in south korea. 60 of the south korean public oppose the decision, so i think what president yoon has been trying to do is to move very rapidly to improve security relations with japan as well as the United States to lock in these gains so that they will survive even after his president ial term ends in 2027. President biden has seized this historic opportunity to move the ball forward by inviting both Prime Minister kishida and president yoon to camp david. Geoff thank you for your insights this evening. We appreciate it. Thank you. Geoff top level israeli delegation is in washington to discuss the broad outlines of a once unthinkable agreement between israel and the kingdom of saudi arabia to normalize diplomatic relations. Nick several agreements shepherded by the Trump Administration between israel and its former adversaries comes another prospect of the biggest price, but at what price for israel, the United States, and saudi arabia . At the same time, unprecedented upheaval groups israel as Benjamin YoungBenjamin Netanyahus government looks to restrain the Supreme Court in what critics say could restrain the nature of democracy. The israeli minister of Strategic Affairs joins me not to discuss more. Welcome. Among the topics you are here in washington to discuss is the possible normalization between israel and saudi arabia, which u. S. Officials tell me they are prioritizing, hoping in the next year, and part of that would be allowing saudi arabia to have Civil Nuclear capacity, including enrichment. Does the Israeli Government support that . Like so many things, the devil is in the details, and we will have to look at what ultimately is agreed upon. You are right, the saudis have looked at a civilian nuclear program. As signatories of npt, they could go to china or france tomorrow and ask them to set up a Civil Nuclear program and to allow for domestic enrichment. They could do that tomorrow if they want to do. The question i ask myself is if the u. S. Is involved in this, what will that mean 10, 20, 30 years down the road . And what is the alternative . Geoff it sounds like you are not against it, certainly, and that is not necessarily the policy of the Israeli Government over the last few decades. There has been a long tradition opposing Nuclear Expansion in the region named after a Prime Minister who bombed an Iraqi Nuclear reactor to prove his doctrine. Does this Israeli Government believed it no longer applies . Quick no, it definitely applies. You have countries in the region that can have civilian nuclear power. That is a different story. Saudi arabia joining the nuclear club would produce a widening of Nuclear Proliferation in the region and other countries would work to acquire uranium enrichment capabilities in their own territory, so what does israel want in exchange for that . We are not going to agree to any Nuclear Weapons program with any of our neighbors. The question becomes what are the safeguards . And what happens if they take another path . Lets not underestimate the impact that an israeli saudi Peace Agreement could have on the region and the world. I think if you get a saudiisraeli peace, you will have several other arab countries, and muslim countries will follow. We also have to deal with palestinians. Saudi arabia will demand significant concessions from israel. Ending illegal and ending illegal settlement activity, expanding the territory under its jurisdiction. This may surprise you, but im actually not going to negotiate on pbs. The way we look at this issue, it is not just this or that price range. We would like to ultimately achieve peace with our neighbors. Studies have made clear theres no peace until these concessions are made. I dont think they have been specific about what concessions i have, which is why i gave you that list. I think saudi arabia looks as this move as something that will anchor their alliance with america for a halfcentury, and i think we both have an interest in seeing if we can get the palestinians on a path which can ultimately lead to political sediment of a conflict. Quick these are efforts the Prime Minister describes, you represent the Government Coalition that is negotiating with the opposition in the president s house in israel. In the United States, as you know, if the house of representatives by a small majority wants to abuse the rights of a minority, it would pass a law that goes through the house, through the senate, signed by the president of the United States, goes through the court system. The Supreme Court as guaranteed by the constitution of israel, if the parliament wants to impose its will on the minority, theres only one check, the israeli Supreme Court. Why are you trying to remove that check . We are not trying to remove that check. I can get has been widely misreported. There are many checks the court has. When at law is passed, they can describe if theres a conflict of interest and theres an extra check you dont have in your system here. The judges can decide we dont believe this is reasonable. In israel, you cannot replace the will of the public through their elected representatives with 15 unelected judges to decide this is reasonable or unreasonable. Cleanse since you have been pushing this through, the shekel has lost value, startups are registering abroad, moodys, s p have warned about investing in israel and the military in israel have repeatedly warned there is a crisis of readiness because of the features that your reforms have created in society and because reservists are now threatening not to show up, so is that not a failure of leadership by the Prime Minister . No, i dont think so. Some of these protesters have crossed lines that should never be crossed, unfortunately. We are a Citizens Army in israel. The army never should have been brought into it geoff are you criticizing individual members for protesting at all . No, of course not. What i dont think his Military Reserve or should not come to the government and say if you dont adopt this or that policy, we are going to because military reservists have decided they are going to dictate the policy. The people who make decisions in a democracy are n