Clinton meets Israeli leaders
2012-07-16 09:18:27 GMT2012-07-16 17:18:27(Beijing Time)
SINA.com
Israel's President Shimon Peres (R) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before their meeting in Jerusalem July 16, 2012. Clinton and Israeli officials will discuss on Monday Egypt's political upheaval, Iran's nuclear program and the stymied Israeli-Palestinian peace process. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (R) before their meeting in Jerusalem July 16, 2012. Clinton and Israeli officials will discuss on Monday Egypt's political upheaval, Iran's nuclear program and the stymied Israeli-Palestinian peace process. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Israel's President Shimon Peres (L) stands with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton before their meeting in Jerusalem July 16, 2012. Clinton and Israeli officials will discuss on Monday Egypt's political upheaval, Iran's nuclear program and the stymied Israeli-Palestinian peace process. REUTERS
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv. Clinton arrived in Israel late on Sunday for top-level talks with Israeli officials expected to focus on Iran's nuclear programme and the stalled peace process. (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held top-level talks on Monday with Israeli leaders expected to focus on changes sweeping the Middle East, as well as Iran and the stalled peace process.
On the last leg of a 12-day, eight-nation tour, Clinton was also to brief Israeli leaders on a weekend trip to Egypt when she met with newly elected President Mohamed Morsi and military leader Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi.
Clinton wanted to have "a broader strategic conversation about more than a year of now of great change and transformation across the region," a top State Department official told reporters late Sunday just ahead of her arrival.
Clinton would also tell Israeli leaders, including President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that their counterparts in Cairo had reaffirmed support for Egypt's peace treaty with Israel during her visit.
Egypt became the first Arab nation to sign a peace accord with Israel in 1979, and Clinton has repeatedly referred to it as "the cornerstone" of regional security.
(Agencies)
