Today in a democracy now special, we spend the hour with Henry Siegman, the former executive director of the American Jewish congress, long described as one of the nations big three jewish organizations. Siegman was born in 1930 in frankfurt, germany. S to power, his family fled to the United States. His father was a leader of the european Zionist Movement, pushing for the creation of a jewish state. The kind of zionism that exists today, as a jew rejected completely the one that exemplified by jewishness. That leaves me to reject it, to abandon it, to see it as shameful. And as a betrayal of the very vast and most important values of my religious and at the kennedy. Nermeen we will air amy goodmans interview with Henry Siegman. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im Nermeen Shaikh, filling in for amy goodman. Swedish prosecutors have dropped part of their Sexual Assault inquiry against wikileaks founder julian assange, but the most serious part of the probe remains in place. The announcement was made as the statute of limitations ran out on three parts of the investigation. Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in london for three years, where hes received political asylum. He fears he will be extradited to the United States to face prosecution for his role at wikileaks if he leaves the embassy. Both ecuador and sweden accuse the other of delaying a possible Swedish Police interview with assange inside the embassy. Sweden has never charged him with any crime. In china, at least 44 people have died following two massive explosions at a warehouse storing toxic chemicals and gas in the northeast port city of tianjin. 500 more people have been hospitalized. The explosions were so powerful, they could be seen by satellites in space. The exact cause of wednesday nights blessed are still unknown. In news from greece, Doctors Without Borders says as many as 1000 refugees have been locked in a stadium on a greek island overnight without access to food and with very little water. Riot police were deployed across the island of kos on tuesday to round up the refugees and force them into the stadium. The migrants are mostly from syria and iraq. A Doctors Without Borders spokesperson described the scene. One day after, still there is no food. Givinglidarity groups milk for the babies. Some are doing medical insistence assistance inside. Many have fainted because of the poor situation. Theres a lot of tension, waiting, misunderstanding of why the people are there. And nobody knows why theyre are there, how long it is when you take, when it is going to finish. Nermeen manned u. S. Warplanes taking off from a base in turkey have begun attacking sites in syria in the latest escalation of the u. S. Led war against the selfproclaimed Islamic State. The u. S. Strikes come as the Syrian Government bombarded areas surrounding damascus on wednesday, killing 31 people, according to the syrian observatory for human rights. Another 13 people died from rocket strikes launched into damascus by rebel groups. In news from iraq, Officials Say more than 50 people have died after a truck bomb exploded in a market in baghdad today. Isil claimed responsibility for the attack. In egypt, a militant group linked to the selfproclaimed Islamic State published an image wednesday allegedly showing the beheading of a croatian hostage. Last week, the group known as the sinai province published a video threatening to behead Tomislav Salopek within 48 hours if muslim women were not released from egyptian prisons. Croatian Authorities Say the death has not yet been confirmed. Meanwhile, in yemen, Officials Say a suspected u. S. Drone strike killed five men suspected on wednesday. The Officials Say the men were suspected of being militants with the group alqaeda in the arabian peninsula. The director of the u. N. Peacekeeping mission in the Central African republic has resigned under pressure, following a new round of accusations of sexual abuse by peacekeeping forces. Earlier this week, Amnesty International accused peacekeepers of raping a 12yearold girl in the capital city of bangui. The Organization Also accused peacekeepers of telling a child and his father. This comes on the heels of earlier accusations that french soldiers deployed as peacekeepers had been trading sex with young boys for food and money at a displaced persons camp. In news from the campaign trail, black lives matter protesters interrupted republican president ial candidate jeb bushs town hall in las vegas, nevada, wednesday night. The group began chanting black lives matter after a woman asked him about the disproportionate number of people of color killed by the police. As bush quickly made his way to the door, some of the town hall attendees also began chanting, white lives matter. White lives matter white lives matter nermeen lawyers for u. S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning say she could face punishment of indefinite solitary confinement for having an expired tube of toothpaste, an issue of vanity fair in which Caitlyn Jenner describes her life as a woman, the u. S. Senate report on torture, and other prohibited property in her cell. She is also accused of showing disrespect for asking to see her lawyer in a discussion with a prison officer. Manning is serving a 35 year sentence for leaking u. S. Government cables to wikileaks. Three more women have come forward accusing Comedian Bill Cosby of Sexual Assault, bringing the number of public accusers to nearly 50. He is accused of drugging and raping dozens of women in cases that date back decades. Lawyer Gloria Allred announced the new accusations on wednesday. Recently, new York Magazine had a photograph on their cover of more than 30 women who had come forward publicly to accuse cosby of having victimized them. That cover also featured an empty chair. Right here. Which in the opinion of many people represented all of the accusers who have not yet come forward. Today that empty chair is filled by three new women. Nermeen and former u. S. President jimmy carter said that he has an advanced form of cancer that has spread throughout his body. He will undergo treatment in atlanta. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im Nermeen Shaikh sitting in for amy goodman. An alarming new report shows the infant mortality rate in gaza has risen for the first time in more than 50 years. The United Nations relief and works agency for palestine refugees found that until now, the number of babies dying before the age of one has consistently fallen in the past five decades in gaza. Meanwhile the family of an , 18month palestinian baby and father killed in an arson attack by jewish settlers reportedly will not be entitled to the same government compensation granted israeli victims of terror. On tuesday, the israeli newspaper haaretz reported the israeli law governing such compensation applies only to Israeli Citizens and residents as well as west bank settlers. Palestinian victims must apply to a special interministerial Exceptions Committee under the Israeli Defense ministry. Earlier this month, thousands of mourners in the west bank attended the funeral of the palestinian father, saad dawabsheh, who succumbed to severe burn injuries just eight days after trying to save his son, ali, from the arson attack. This is taha dawabsheh, a relative of the family. First, we condemn this ugly crime, which happened for the first time in history post up people were sleeping and the bat of the night came upon them to burn them. A tyler was killed a week ago and his father died today. And we hope his mother and brother recover in the hospital. We ask the community and all the free people of the world to help us and stand with us in our people, and we ask for protection for our village against the settlers. Nermeen meanwhile, jewish and palestinian women are holding a Hunger Strike outside Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahus residence in jerusalem to call for a renewal of peace negotiations. Members of the group women wage peace have been fasting for the past month in alternating shifts, sitting in an openair tent and inviting passersby to discuss how best to wage peace. The group has dubbed their Mission Operation protective fast, a twist on operation protective edge israels military operation that left 2200 palestinians, including 550 children, dead last summer. On the israeli side, 73 people were killed, all but six of them soldiers. The attack destroyed 12,000 homes in gaza. Another 100,000 were damaged. None of the destroyed homes have been rebuilt so far, due in part to the ongoing israeli blockade. Women wage peace are urging Israeli Cabinet and knesset members to prioritize peace talks with palestinians. Well, our guest for the hour suggests the best chance for achieving a lasting peace in israelpalestine lies not in netanyahu, but the United NationsSecurity Council with the u. S. s support presenting both parties with clear terms for resumed peace talks. In a democracy now special, we spend the hour with Henry Siegman, the former executive director of the American Jewish congress, long described as one of the nations big three jewish organizations along with the American Jewish committee and the antidefamation league. Siegman was born in 1930 in frankfurt, germany. Three years later, the nazis came to power. After fleeing nazi troops in belgium, his family eventually moved to the United States. His father was a leader of the european Zionist Movement, pushing for the creation of a jewish state. He later became head of the Synagogue Council of america. After his time at the American Jewish congress, siegman became a senior fellow at the council on foreign relations. He now serves as president of the u. S. middle east project. Amy goodman spoke to siegman in may, shortly after he published a piece in the New York Times called, give up on netanyahu, go to the United Nations. Amy so why does he start off talking about just what you are suggesting president obama do. Well, what im suggesting he do, and what many others suggest as well, indeed for some time now, is that he finally act on a understood for quite some time now, mainly, that any government that is headed by netanyahu not only is disinterested in pursuing a two state solution, but, indeed, seems as its primary mission and states to prevent a two eement will stop agreement. He and his various governments have acted on the assumption that there is no occupation, that there may be disputes about how much land israel has a right to next to the state of israel and the west bank, but palestinians do not have any particular right, certainly not a right greater than israel has, to any part of the west bank. And that has been the working assumption of every government headed by netanyahu. Reason, we have said for a long time to the president and various communications and meetings with the department of state, the white house mediators, that the peace process, the bilateral talks that have taken place, are all bound to fail unless americas diplomacy is based on recognition of this fundamental truth. That left to their own devices, israelis will never agree and Israeli Government will never agree to a two state solution that is remotely acceptable to the palestinians. Consequently, it seems clear the only way to state accord can be if the un Security Council, a thirdparty, and of course the most reasonable thirdparty to take the lead am is the Security Council, because the various resolutions on a two state solution adopted by the Security Council are the foundation of any fees office. Amy in march, newly reelected israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu tried to walk back his preelection vow not to allow a palestinian state. A day before the election when asked if he was ruling out establishing a palestinian state under his tenure, netanyahu replied indeed. He later tried to backtrack in an interview with nbc class Andrew Mitchell after tremendous international outcry. I would say is my policy, and never retracted my speech six years ago, calling for a demilitarized post and instead the recognizes a jewish state. What is changed in the reality, a lot of the Palestinian Leaders refuse to recognize the jewish date, made a pact with hamas that also the calls for the destruction of the jewish state in every territory vacated in the middle east today is taken up by a islamist forces. We want that to change so we can realize a vision of real sustained peace. And i dont want a one state solution will stop i want a sustainable, peaceful two state solution. For that, circumstances have to change. Amy in the final days of the campaign, netanyahu stressed his work rightwing positions visited a settlement and bowed to ramp up the construction of more settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and unequivocally ruled out allowing a palestinian state reneging on his nominal 2009 endorsement of the two state solution. On election day, he also railed against israels arab voters. Rightwing will is in danger. The leftwing nonprofit organizations are bringing them and buses. Bring your friends to the polling stations, friends and family, in order to close the gap between us and the labour party. We will form a National Government protect the state of israel. Amy that was primed mr. Netanyahu in his election campaigning. Harry siegman, on the issue of election voters and the two state solution . Well, one has to be extremely naive to have waited for this admission a declaration, proud declaration by netanyahu, that he never meant it, but when he embraced the two state solution, he was lying. One will have to wait until then to include that he really never with a twooceed state peace accord. For the simple reason that every action taken by his government with respect to palestinians who live past the 67 border, every action that is taken was consistent with israels ultimate permanent control of all of the territories. Course, theth, of project how is it conceivable the government that is serious about reaching a two state not just for israel, but for the palestinians, one they could conceivably accept, cuts the ground from under that state in the most literal sense by annexing it to the state of israel . So somebody had to wait until he made that statement, for diplomats, that is rather pathetic. What it really suggests is that because they are not stupid, be inept, butay theyre not stupid. They understood from the beginning they were dealing with a Prime Minister who it no intention whatsoever of yielding israels control. So they had to pretend they believed that in order for their diplomacy to go forward. Otherwise, you know, they are unemployed. Amy and his call for Jewish Voters to come out to counter the arab votes . Yes, will that tells you something about his commitment to a Democratic State of israel. Amy and the fact he tried to walk after statement against the two state solution . He referred to as earlier diplomacy, as it were. This has been the strategy from the very beginning, to put he had to balance, on the one hand, his determination never to yield control over the west bank with a public posture that enables the United States at least to pretend that a two state , as the twopossible parties negotiated successfully and this he has done wonderfully. The fact he walked it back is really utterly meaningless. sy talk about netanyahu information of the new government and who yes chosen to be his ministers. Just to follow up on your previous question, he had come out with a new ploy, which is him again, so wonderfully good assistant with the totally dishonest approach has had from his very first government that he headed to the issue of a two state agreement, he has now proposed to the palestinians that they sit down and negotiate the borders of the settlements. Now, on the one hand, that creates the impression he once to negotiate, once a peace process, and secondly, he is open to some kind of agreement that might ultimately lead to a state without yielding were in any way walking back or in any way walking back his position that there is no 67 border. And consequently, there is