Iran is entering one of the most perilous moments in its modern history. In this urgent episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki and Pastor Doug Reed are joined by Iranian opposition strategist Mehrdad Marty Youssefiani, a longtime adviser to the Iranian resistance, to assess the rapidly unfolding protests inside Iran and what they mean for the regime's survival.

Unlike past uprisings driven by ideology or social reform, today's unrest is fueled by economic collapse: a crashing currency, empty treasuries, shuttered markets, and ordinary Iranians who can no longer afford bread, water, or rent. Youssefiani explains why this shift makes the current protests far more dangerous for the regime, how fear inside Iran's security forces is growing, and why the convergence of internal unrest and external geopolitical pressure has left Tehran more exposed than ever.

The conversation also explores the fragmented nature of the Iranian opposition, the realistic prospects for unity in exile and inside Iran, and what signs listeners should be watching for in the coming weeks. Finally, the episode addresses how people of faith can pray, advocate, and support the Iranian people at a moment when the future of the region may be hanging in the balance.

This is not speculation. This is a real-time assessment of a regime under unprecedented strain—and a nation approaching a historic crossroads.

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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.