Clinton: U.S., Israel on same page re Iran

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JERUSALEM, July 16 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday the United States and Israel are on the "same page" when it comes to Iran.

Clinton told a press conference in Jerusalem the proposals Iran has made on its nuclear program are "non-starters," Haaretz reported. Her comments came after meetings with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders.

"It's absolutely fair to say that we are on the same page at this moment trying to figure our way forward to have the maximum impact on affecting the decisions that Iran makes," Clinton said, calling Iran's proposals so far "non-starters."

Clinton said Israel and the United States must work together in a "smart, creative and courageous way."

Following a meeting with Netanyahu, Clinton said the United States and Israel will continue to consult daily, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Clinton also met with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, but the Palestinian Authority said she presented no new ideas for restarting stalled peace talks with Israel, saying the Americans "are too busy with their presidential election," the Post said.

Among the conditions the PA has sought before resuming talks are the release of Palestinians jailed in Israel before the 1993 signing of the Oslo Accords and permission to buy weapons for security forces in the West Bank. Palestinians also have demanded an end to construction in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

It is Clinton's fourth visit to Israel. She arrived after a two-day trip to Egypt where she met with newly elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi.