"Israel?! Won't you get shot?!" That was the helpful response of one of my colleagues when I told her I was going there to film a travel diary.

Scratch the surface and almost everyone has a (usually strong) opinion on the Jewish state.

I've long been keen to go and make up my own mind about this country, which provokes such extreme emotions in so many people.

As a Catholic, I've also wanted to visit the places where Jesus lived and died.

To coincide with the 60th anniversary of the creation of Israel in 1948, tonight's programme offers an honest account of five days I spent there in March.

As we landed, news came through that eight young Jewish men had been killed at a Rabbinical training college in Jerusalem.

It was the worst violence the city has seen for four years and I was frightened. But it was immediately apparent that Israelis have found a way of not only living with this danger but also using it to reinforce their sense of pride and determination.

While Jews across the world are celebrating the 1948 victory, many Palestinians still refer to events 60 years ago simply as 'the catastrophe'.

West Bank

We cross the infamous wall which separates East Jerusalem from the Palestinian West Bank, and visit families living on a refugee camp near Ramallah.

They still believe the land taken from them in 1948 is theirs, and the determination to take it back seems to have gained strength with every generation.

Yet Palestinians and Jews live and work side by side along the ancient streets of Jerusalem - without doubt the most incredible city I've ever visited.

Before going, I had no idea the Western (Wailing) wall sits directly underneath the Dome of the Rock monument, where Mohammed dictated the laws of Islam, and that just a few hundred metres away is the spot where Jesus was crucified.

In my naivite, I'd imagined that little had changed and that I'd beable to reflect on the events that took place there. I'd also foolishly assumed that the stable at Bethlehem would be as magical as my childhood imagination had pictured it. The reality was beyond disappointing.

I went to Israel to challenge my own prejudices and learn more about my own faith. Predictably, I came back with more questions.

But I'm so glad that I went and I firmly believe people should make the effort to go there and talk to the people who live there, before making up their minds about what they might find.

Israel - Snapshot of a New Nation will be shown on Channel M tonight at 8.30pm. It will be repeated on Saturday at 6pm and on Sunday at 1am, 1.30pm and 10.30pm.