Rick Steves’ The Holy Land: Israelis and Palestinians Today is Rick’s newest public television special — filmed on location in 2013. In Israel, he travels from the venerable ramparts of Jerusalem to the vibrant modern skyline of Tel Aviv. In Palestine, he harvests olives near Hebron, visits a home in Bethlehem, and pops into a university in Ramallah. Weaving together narratives from both sides, Rick also learns about security walls, disputed settlements, and the persistent challenges facing the region.

Why the Holy Land? According to Rick, “I wanted to produce a television show that could help my American viewers better understand this troubled land. My agenda was simply to be balanced and honest. Not with the cold detachment of a news reporter, but with the natural empathy that comes from being a travel writer. I wanted to take on a ‘dual narrative’ approach: giving voice to reasonable and rational people from both sides of the thorny issues.”

Bonus Features: This DVD also includes a 15-minute Q&A interview with Rick Steves, plus 10 extended interviews with people who appear in the TV special.