Headlines from Jerusalem: 'Exclusive' with Jerusalem Santa; Israeli tour guide rallies support for Palestinians in tourism – Ep. 5
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:
Nicole Jansezian is a journalist, travel documentarian and cultural entrepreneur based in Jerusalem. She serves as the Communications Director at CBN Israel and is the former news editor and senior correspondent for ALL ISRAEL NEWS. On her YouTube channel she highlights fascinating tidbits from the Holy Land and gives a platform to the people behind the stories.
