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Unlike others living in Israel during the Second Intifada, Martin Fletcher would make the trek to the West Bank or to Gaza following a terrorist attack and talk to those who had just orchestrated the violence.

"Obviously it was difficult as a Jew, but I thought it was important that I do understand what is going on and do tell their story as fairly as possible," said Fletcher, NBC News' Tel-Aviv bureau chief, at a talk at the Shimon and Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center in Bridgewater Nov. 19, as part of his nationwide tour to promote his new book, "Breaking News: A Stunning and Memorable Account of Reporting from Some of the Most Dangerous Places in the World."

In a wide-ranging discussion, Fletcher spoke about the challenge of covering the Middle East as a Jew; the general attitude among the Israeli public regarding the peace process, Iran, and its efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon; and how covering war and conflicts throughout the world has shaped his sensibilities.

Fletcher explained that as a journalist he must make sure that he overcomes any personal prejudices that he may harbor.

"Many people have said this to me -- and I take it as a compliment -- that they didn't really know after watching me for all these years on TV that I was Jewish," Fletcher said. "NBC would have never kept me in such a sensitive assignment if they didn't think I was fair to everybody. So as a journalist, I try to be very fair and I really do, but there are always moments where it becomes clear that I'm a Jew and that I'm not really objective, but I have to be objective."

Yet, Fletcher rejected the assumption that in seeking the perspective of those who committed terrorist attacks against Israel, he is exercising moral equivalency.

"I don't give any equal weight in the slightest to what they do -- they're the killers, the murderers, the terrorists, and I use those terms in the book -- and the Jews are the victims," Fletcher said, detailing how he would venture into the West Bank to talk with leaders of the al-Aqsa Martys Bridgades. "But, I do give equal credence and weight to their stories, to what they're doing. I think it's my job to say that accurately and fairly."

Speaking about the general sentiment in Israel today regarding the peace process, Fletcher said there is widespread cynicism about any real prospect for a solution.

"There's a sense, a strong sense, that whatever Israel does will not be enough for the Arabs and whatever Israel does will not be enough for the outside world, and of course with the Obama administration's change in attitude, that's not unfounded," he said. "Not that Israel is necessarily doing all the right things, but they are not going to please anybody at this moment."

"The sense on the street is that we can't give more than we're giving, nobody appreciates what we're doing, therefore we might as well continue as we are, which is fairly flip summary of what's going on, but I think it's a fair assessment of the Israeli attitude today," Fletcher continued, adding that, "it's probably the daily realistic attitude, but I think in the long run it's deadly for Israel, personally."

Fletcher also discussed Iran's efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon and Israel's potential response.

"My personal opinion, which I'm not allowed to give and NBC would shoot me if they heard me, is that I don't think Israel should attack [Iran]," said Fletcher. "Iran is a thousand miles a way, it's a strong country -- 70 million people, oil-rich."

All an attack on Iran would do is set the program back perhaps several years, according to Fletcher.

"Though, having said all of that, I think they [Iran] get the bomb," he said. "And then what does Israel do? So a lot of people say we have to attack before they get the bomb, and luckily I'm not paid to decide what to do. "

Though based in Tel-Aviv, during his long career in journalism Fletcher has covered some of the most important stories of the last 30 years from the war on terror in Afghanistan to the conflict in Kosovo; the tsunami in Southeast Asia to the Iranian hostage crisis; the fall of the Berlin Wall to the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square massacre in China.

Asked whether witnessing so much tragedy and suffering has hardened him, Fletcher responded that it has actually helped soften him.

"Suffering, as terrible as it is, brings out the best in the survivors and it's a very sad thing to find, but it's the thing that has kept me going for so long -- my admiration for the victims," he said.