StreetMutt wrote:
And I relished the conversation we had about Israel. It was a real eye-opener for me. He said he has had many friends decline to fight and be imprisoned by Palestinian forces. He also had his family's land taken from the Israeli government. He has real reason to hate Jews. But he doesn't. He just hates the government and wants reform.

I read a book quite a while ago (I'm sorry to say I have absolutely no recollection of what it was) that told some personal stories of both Palestinians and Israelis. I found it to be quite depressing. After the horrible suffering and resultant bitterness on both sides, it's hard to imagine a peaceful settlement ever being reached.