Palestinian Santa brings festive cheer to Jerusalem
Seven years ago one resident, Issa Kassissieh, transformed the ground floor of his 700-year-old home into a grotto, complete with candy, mulled wine and a chance to sit on Santa's lap
Palestinian Issa Kassissieh, dressed as Santa Claus, rides a camel at Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, a few weeks before the upcoming holiday of Christmas on December 2, 2022. - In Jerusalem's Old City there are dozens of churches, but as Christmas beckons there is just one Santa Claus -- a towering Palestinian former basketball player. Each December, the streets sparkle green and red as Christian pilgrims and others arrive to celebrate Christmas in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
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