(213) "We Are Not Arabs": Lt. Col. (Res.) Ihab Shlayan on Christian Identity, IDF Service, and the Fight to Save Christianity in the Holy Land

What is it like to be a Christian in Israel—and why do many Israeli Christians insist, "We are not Arabs"? In this eye-opening episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki and Pastor Doug Reed speak with Lieutenant Colonel (Reserves) Ihab Shlayan, the IDF's most senior Christian officer and founder of Christian Voice in Israel. Shlayan shares a frank, ground-level account of how Christian communities in places like Nazareth and Cana have steadily become minorities in their own historic towns—and why he says the greatest threat to Christians in the region is not the State of Israel, but Islamist intimidation and Arab political control.  He also lays out five concrete demands he's pressing with the Israeli government: recognition of Christians as a distinct community (not "Arab"), equal access to scholarships and employment benefits for those who serve, a separate Christian education framework, visible Israeli civic presence (including flags) in Christian towns, and proper representation and memorial recognition for Christian IDF soldiers.  Whether you've heard claims that Christians are "second-class citizens" in Israel—or you've never considered the internal pressures facing Christians in the Holy Land—this conversation delivers rare clarity from someone who has lived it in uniform, in public advocacy, and on the front lines.  

On this special Christmas Eve episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Pastor Doug Reed flies solo while Rabbi Pesach is on his way back from Amfest and the Hanukkah celebration at the White House. Doug welcomes Pastor Nate Brown, cohost of the Under God podcast and pastor of Vintage Church in Liberty Hill, Texas, for a deep dive into what Christmas actually means – not just culturally, but theologically.  Speaking to an audience of both Christians and Jews, Doug and Nate unpack the story of the incarnation – God entering history in the person of Jesus – its roots in Jewish prophecy like Isaiah 9, and why that claim has shaped the world for two thousand years. They tackle the tension between "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays," the consumerism that threatens to hollow out the holiday, and the popular claim that December 25th is just a Christianized pagan festival – walking through early Christian sources that tell a very different story.  They also explore how Christmas connects to Israel, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the continuity between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, why Christmas and Easter can't really be separated, and what it means in 2026 to live as if "God with us" is true: engaging culture instead of retreating from it, and standing publicly with the Jewish people in the face of rising antisemitism and attacks like Bondi Beach. Whether you are a Christian wanting to recover the depth of Christmas, or a Jew curious about what your Christian neighbors are really celebrating, this conversation is for you.

In this episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki and Pastor Doug Reed respond to the terrorist attack on the Hanukkah candle lighting at Bondi Beach in Sydney and the broader surge of antisemitic and ant- Christian violence across the West.  They then continue their conversation about Doug's recent trip to Israel and what it was like to experience the land, the war, and the global faith coalition up close.  In the second half, they are joined by Frank Gaffney for a direct, practical discussion of the Trump administration's executive order related to the Muslim Brotherhood, what it does and does not do, and what ordinary citizens can do right now if they want Western leaders to take jihadist ideology seriously.

In this unforgettable episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Pastor Doug and Rabbi Pesach sit down with Dr. Michael Brawan of Kenya and Rev. Adam Hajj Muhammad of Somalia, a former imam whose decision to follow Jesus cost him almost everything. Adam describes his childhood in a radically devout Muslim family, his rise as a respected Islamic judge and mosque builder, and the moment a divine encounter shattered everything he thought he knew. From that point on, his life became a dangerous walk of faith.  Adam shares how his public declaration of Christian faith triggered a violent backlash: his mother and wives were murdered, early converts were slaughtered, and there was a price on his head. Dr. Brawan recounts the extraordinary rescue operation that smuggled Adam out of Somalia in a coffin, and Adam explains why he later chose to return and plant underground churches despite the constant threat of torture and death. Recorded in Jerusalem while leading an African Christian delegation through Israel, this conversation shines a piercing light on the brutal persecution of Christians in Africa — and on the kind of courageous faith that refuses to back down.

With Doug on the road, Rabbi Pesach flies solo and sits down with political anthropologist Francisco Gil-White, a scholar whose life's work explores antisemitism as a deliberate tool of totalitarian power. Drawing a line from the Bible and the Exodus story through Rome, the Church, Nazism, the Soviet Union, and today's jihadist movements, Gil-White argues that whenever elites move to enslave populations, they first move to eliminate the Jews and then turn on everyone else. He explains why the modern "Palestinian narrative," the Oslo process, and the global reaction to October seventh all fit into a larger project to collapse Western civilization from within and replace it with a new form of tyranny. This is a challenging, eye opening conversation about Israel, Islam, the CIA, and whether the West can still be saved — and what it would actually take.

As Thanksgiving approaches in the United States, Pastor Doug Reed and Rabbi Pesach Wolicki take a step back from politics and crisis and focus on something fundamental and powerful: the practice of gratitude. Doug shares what Thanksgiving looks like in his home, while Pesach describes how his family in Israel marks the holiday and why he believes Jews in Israel should thank God for the United States. They explore the Jewish morning prayer Modeh Ani, Leah naming Judah, and the ancient thanksgiving offering in Leviticus as a biblical foundation for gathering around a table to thank God. Along the way they draw a vital distinction between praising God for what He is and thanking God for what He has done for us personally. This is a warm and honest conversation that will help you enter Thanksgiving with a fuller heart and a clearer sense of purpose.  

What if Israel is the stress test that exposes what's broken on both the far left and the far right? Dr. James Lindsay, a mathematician turned political heretic, went from progressive insider to conservative rockstar – and then got canceled by both sides for calling out ideological extremism. Fresh from a recent trip to Israel, he joins Doug and Pesach to unpack what he saw on the ground, how Israel has become a wedge used by extremists to divide their own movements, and what that reveals about truth, courage, and the future of the West. This is one of the most intense and revealing Shoulder to Shoulder conversations we've ever had.

This week on Shoulder to Shoulder, Pesach and Doug sit down with Robert Spencer of Jihadwatch.org to dive into his explosive new book, Intifada on the Hudson. We take a deep look at NYC's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and the growing influence of the Red-Green Alliance. What happens when secular Marxism links arms with Islam? Our conversation moves from politics to the spiritual battle shaping the future of America's cities - as well as what each of us can do to help prevent a bleak future for the United States of America.  

On this episode of Shoulder to Shoulder Pastor Doug and Rabbi Pesach sit down with Geopolitical Scholar Dr. Raphael BenLevi for a frank conversation about why Israel must be able to stand on its own. They explore the difference between partnership and dependence, the strategic risks of relying too heavily on other nations, and what true national resilience looks like in a dangerous region. If you care about Israeli security, Jewish strength, and moral clarity in foreign policy, this episode is a must listen.

In this episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Pesach and Doug sit down with recurring guest and military analyst Elliott Chodoff for a deep dive into the latest developments in the Middle East. They unpack the emerging peace framework, the complex roles of Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt in Gaza, and what it will take to militarily finish off Hamas once and for all. Will Trumps pragmatic and economic approach to peace create a lasting framework for peace in the region or more headaches with broader conflicts? Clear-eyed, candid, and grounded in both faith and facts — this is an episode you won't want to miss.