The Unlikely Friendship of Rabbi Marc Schneier + Imam Shamsi Ali Read more: The Unlikely Friendship of Rabbi Marc Schneier + Imam Shamsi Ali

By Lorena O'neal

Why you should care
As Israel and Palestine peace talks halt, these men want Muslims and Jews to remember that sometimes your most bitter enemy can become your most faithful friend.

It was distrust at first sight for Rabbi Marc Schneier and Imam Shamsi Ali when they met in Manhattan in 2005.

They were both being interviewed by CBS about Pope John Paul II’s interfaith outreach, following his death. They looked at each other, shook hands and felt mutually uncomfortable in their interactions.

“I’d grown up in an environment as an Orthodox Jew where Muslims were the enemy, Muslims were to be denomized, Muslims were not to be trusted,” says Schneier, 55. “I clearly brought to the table many biases, prejudices, prejudgments.”

It's nice how they both share many moments together, but the problem is that they'll be constantly trying to change each others' perspective about their religious worldview.