A RACE, NOT A RELIGION:

A spokesman for Christian churches in the Holy Land on Wednesday accused Israel of discriminating against Christian tourists during the normally busy Christmas holiday season.

Amid the rise of the Omicron COVID-19 variant late last month, the Israeli government took the far-reaching step of shuttering its borders to foreigners for two weeks. Last week, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett ordered the directive be extended an additional 10 days, through December 21 at least.

But this week, Israeli officials decided to make an exception for Birthright, a popular program that provides free trips to Israel to young Jews from around the world. Groups from the United States are expected to arrive next week, with participants all fully vaccinated and remaining in small capsules.

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