We are still stuck on Christmas here in the Holy Land with two more celebrations to go! In this episode I was privy to an "exclusive" interview with Santa Claus. Yes, really. 

First though, I spoke with Katharine van der Beek, an Israeli tour guide who has started an initiative to raise support for her Palestinian peers who arguably have been hit harder than those in the Israeli tourism sector. Van der Beek has mobilized locals and internationals to raise support for Christians in Bethlehem whose lives have been impacted by Israel's border closures.

"It’s not something you could prepare for in advance – it was a very sudden thing," she said about the closure that impacted tourism for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

If you feel moved to send a "Christmas" gift to Palestinian Christians suffering during this season, you can make a donation here: https://app.securegive.com/KKCJ/king-of-kings-ministries/donate/category. Specify that you want your gift to go to “West Bank tourism.”

Here is some of our holiday coverage from Christmas and New Year's:

Little town of Bethlehem lies quieter than ever for Christmas with borders closed and tourists forbidden from entering Israel – and hence Palestinian areas

CHRISTIANS IN ISRAEL: Evangelical bishop says Israel must deal with attacks, discrimination against Christians coming from ‘radicalized’ Jewish groups