JERUSALEM, July 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a 24-hour visit to Israel on Monday, stressed the alliance between the two nations and need for both countries to " think together, act together," in dealing with regional challenges.
At the end of an hour-long meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Clinton characterized the turmoil affecting the region as "a time of uncertainty, but also opportunity."
Clinton landed in Israel late Sunday night for high-level talks expected to focus on Israel-Egypt ties, Iran's nuclear program and the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Other top U.S. officials, including Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, are scheduled to visit Israel next week.
Clinton said that the current period "is a chance to advance our shared goals of security, stability, peace, and democracy - along with prosperity, for the millions of people in this region who have yet to see a better future."
Turning to bilateral relations with Israel, she added, "and it is at moments like these that friends like us, have to think together, act together," possibly alluding to American concerns of a potential independent Israeli attack against Iranian nuclear facilities.
The secretary of state is headed into a packed day of meetings with top Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and culminating with a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after which she said a press conference would be held to sum up the days discussions.
"I look forward to my other meetings today," Clinton said, " where we will continue our in-depth discussions on a broad range of matters, including Egypt and Syria; peace efforts; Iran; other regional and global issues," noting her morning meeting with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
U.S. ambassador Dan Shapiro and Israeli ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, were on hand at the meeting, at which Peres raised the issue of the release of Israeli spy Jonathon Pollard, who is serving his 25th year of a life sentence for passing classified information to Israel, according to Israel Radio.
Peres told Clinton that "Israel is very interested in keeping peace with our neighbors, especially with Egypt." The president said that Israel "respects the results of the elections and try and will continue to build the peace between us and Egypt."
On the stalled peace talks with the Palestinians, Peres said " the Palestinians do not have a better alternative; we don't have a better alternative," adding that both sides had come far in working towards peace.
On Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama told a Washington D.C. television station that he had "not been able to move the peace process forward in the Middle East the way I wanted."
Obama added that the issue was "something we focused on very early. But the truth of the matter is that the parties, they've got to want it as well."
Some political analysts in Israel and the U.S. have speculated that Clinton's first visit to Israel since September 2010 is also aimed at boosting Obama's slipping prestige among undecided American Jewish voters.
Pollsters have reported Republican inroads among American Jews, focusing on expressed concerns that Obama and his advisors are gradually distancing U.S. policy from traditional perceived support for Israel.
Analysts see Romney's visit as a bid to show that he is more committed to Israel's security than the Obama administration.
Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Advisor Tom Donillon, who was here for secret, high-level talks with counterparts over the weekend, "stressed America's undisputed commitment to Israel's security," according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office.
After a series of failed negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 states, the upcoming visit of U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to Israel is likely to focus on Iran, and convincing Israel not to carry out a pre-emptive strike against its nuclear fuel enrichment facilities and related infrastructure.
Special Report: Palestine-Israel Conflicts
At the end of an hour-long meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Clinton characterized the turmoil affecting the region as "a time of uncertainty, but also opportunity."
Clinton landed in Israel late Sunday night for high-level talks expected to focus on Israel-Egypt ties, Iran's nuclear program and the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Other top U.S. officials, including Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, are scheduled to visit Israel next week.
Clinton said that the current period "is a chance to advance our shared goals of security, stability, peace, and democracy - along with prosperity, for the millions of people in this region who have yet to see a better future."
Turning to bilateral relations with Israel, she added, "and it is at moments like these that friends like us, have to think together, act together," possibly alluding to American concerns of a potential independent Israeli attack against Iranian nuclear facilities.
The secretary of state is headed into a packed day of meetings with top Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and culminating with a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after which she said a press conference would be held to sum up the days discussions.
"I look forward to my other meetings today," Clinton said, " where we will continue our in-depth discussions on a broad range of matters, including Egypt and Syria; peace efforts; Iran; other regional and global issues," noting her morning meeting with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
U.S. ambassador Dan Shapiro and Israeli ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, were on hand at the meeting, at which Peres raised the issue of the release of Israeli spy Jonathon Pollard, who is serving his 25th year of a life sentence for passing classified information to Israel, according to Israel Radio.
Peres told Clinton that "Israel is very interested in keeping peace with our neighbors, especially with Egypt." The president said that Israel "respects the results of the elections and try and will continue to build the peace between us and Egypt."
On the stalled peace talks with the Palestinians, Peres said " the Palestinians do not have a better alternative; we don't have a better alternative," adding that both sides had come far in working towards peace.
On Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama told a Washington D.C. television station that he had "not been able to move the peace process forward in the Middle East the way I wanted."
Obama added that the issue was "something we focused on very early. But the truth of the matter is that the parties, they've got to want it as well."
Some political analysts in Israel and the U.S. have speculated that Clinton's first visit to Israel since September 2010 is also aimed at boosting Obama's slipping prestige among undecided American Jewish voters.
Pollsters have reported Republican inroads among American Jews, focusing on expressed concerns that Obama and his advisors are gradually distancing U.S. policy from traditional perceived support for Israel.
Analysts see Romney's visit as a bid to show that he is more committed to Israel's security than the Obama administration.
Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Advisor Tom Donillon, who was here for secret, high-level talks with counterparts over the weekend, "stressed America's undisputed commitment to Israel's security," according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office.
After a series of failed negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 states, the upcoming visit of U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to Israel is likely to focus on Iran, and convincing Israel not to carry out a pre-emptive strike against its nuclear fuel enrichment facilities and related infrastructure.
Special Report: Palestine-Israel Conflicts