On Monday and Tuesday night this week, Jews around the world attended the seder—one of the most widely observed Jewish rituals. Some had also participated in a seder in February, following the practice of 16th-century mystics who transformed Tu B’Shvat—the fifteenth day of the month of Shvat, or the “new year of the trees”—into a minor holiday complete with a ritual meal. But for most of its contemporary observers in America, Tu B’Shvat has become a day for environmental activism. Tevi Troy, in conversation with Jonathan Silver, explains how doing so is not only unfaithful to the holiday but symptomatic of a dangerous trend toward politicizing Judaism. (Audio, 25 minutes.)

Before exploding electronics in Lebanon seized the attention of the Israeli public, debate there had focused on the Philadelphi Corridor—the strip of land between Gaza and Egypt—and whether the IDF can afford to withdraw from it. Egypt has opposed Israeli control of the corridor, which is crucial to Hamas’s supply lines, and Egyptian objections likely prevented Israel from seizing it earlier in the war. Yet, argues Mariam Wahba, Egypt in the long run only stands to lose by letting Hamas use the corridor, and has proved incapable of effectively sealing it off:

Ultimately, this moment presents an opportunity for the United States to hold Egypt’s feet to the fire.

To press Cairo, the United States should consider conditioning future aid on Cairo’s willingness to cooperate. This should include a demand for greater transparency and independent oversight to verify Egyptian claims about the tunnels. Congress ought to hold hearings to understand better Egypt’s role and its compliance as a U.S. ally. Despite Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s nine trips to the Middle East since the start of the war, there has been little clarity on how Egypt intends to fulfill its role as a mediator.

By refusing to acknowledge Israel’s legitimate security concerns, Egypt is undermining its own interests, prolonging the war in Gaza, and further destabilizing its relationship with Jerusalem. It is time for Egyptian leaders either to admit their inability to secure the border and seek help from Israel and America, or to risk being perceived as enablers of Hamas and its terrorist campaign.