I was invited to something for the New Israel Fund. I've never heard of them and I wouldn't normally support contemporary Israel because of recent human rights abuses. But I looked at the website and discovered that they are founded on ideas of equality and respect for everyone in the region and that, in fact, they are working in a practial way to creating harmony and understanding between Muslims and Jews in Israel/Palestine.
Like I said, I've never heard of them. I've also never heard of the many links that come off their website about people including Jewish Israelis who are working towards peace, through religious understanding. What I realised is how much the stereotype of Israelis has informed how I see the area and everyone who lives in it. And I'm Jewish!
I realise once again how much myth and stereotype is promulgated in the face of a much more interesting and diverse reality.