Taking as his point of departure Milton Friedman’s 1955 essay “The Role of Government in Education,” Jason Bedrick discusses the history of religion in American public education, the various ways the government could encourage and subsidize private religious schools, the religious-freedom concerns that accompany such funding, and the widely perceived “tuition crisis” affecting Modern Orthodox communities. Bedrick argues that “it would be truer to the spirit of pluralism and freedom in this country [to have] a system that subsidized individuals and families and allowed them to choose the sort of schools that work best for [themselves] and reflect their values.” (Interview by Eric Cohen. Audio, 42 minutes.)

In a statement released on social media on Monday, the president-elect declared that if the hostages held by Hamas are not released before his inauguration, “there will be all hell to pay” for those who “perpetrated these atrocities against humanity.” But will Hamas take such a threat seriously? And, even if Donald Trump decides to convert his words into actions after taking office, exactly what steps could he take? Ron Ben-Yishai writes:

While Trump lacks direct military options against Hamas—given Israel’s ongoing actions—he holds three powerful levers to pressure the group into showing some flexibility on the hostage deal or to punish it if it resists after his inauguration. The first lever targets Hamas’s finances, focusing on its ability to fund activities after the fighting ends. This extends beyond Gaza to Lebanon and other global hubs where Hamas derives strength. . . . Additionally, Trump could pressure Qatar to cut off its generous funding and donations to the Islamist organization.

The other levers are also financial rather than military: increasing sanctions on Iran to force it to pressure Hamas, and withholding aid for the reconstruction of Gaza until the hostages are released. In Ben-Yishai’s view, “Trump’s statement undoubtedly represents a positive development and could accelerate the process toward a hostage-release agreement.”