Cairo , Egypt ( CNN ) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday she took on the `` complicated and difficult '' task of trying to restart talks on Israeli-Palestinian peace during her talks with Egypt 's leaders . Egypt is `` an essential partner '' in that effort , she said . `` President Obama , special envoy [ George ] Mitchell -- who is here with me today -- and I are all deeply and personally committed to achieving a two-state solution and comprehensive peace between Israelis , Palestinians and all of their Arab neighbors , '' Clinton said at a joint news conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Ali Aboul Gheit . She spoke on the final stop on her weeklong trip that stretched from Pakistan to the Middle East . Clinton met with Aboul Gheit and other Egyptian leaders before consulting Wednesday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak . Clinton angered Palestinian leaders during her stop Saturday in Jerusalem when she praised Israel for what she called `` unprecedented '' steps to limit -- but not fully halt -- the construction of Jewish settlements . Egyptian leaders told Clinton her statement was perceived as `` a sort of backtracking '' and `` listened with great interest '' as she insisted the U.S. opposition to settlements has not changed , Aboul Gheit said . `` We talked about this very clearly and very candidly , '' he said , noting that Egypt feels that Israel `` is hindering the process '' by continuing its settlement activities . Clinton again clarified the U.S. position at Wednesday 's news conference in Cairo : `` Our policy on settlements has not changed . I want to say that again : Our policy on settlement activity has not changed , '' she said . `` We do not accept the legitimacy of settlement activity . And we have a very firm belief that ending all activity -- current and future -- would be preferable , and that is what we have put forth , and that is what we have continued to support . '' But Palestinian frustration over Clinton 's statement in Jerusalem and the stalled peace process was still on display Wednesday in the West Bank city of Ramallah . Saeb Erakat , chief negotiator for the Palestinian Authority , said that if Israeli settlement construction did not end , it may be `` the moment of truth '' for the Palestinian leadership . Erakat raised the possibility that `` the two-state solution is no longer an option and maybe the Palestinian people should refocus their attention to the one-state solution where Muslims , Christians and Jews can live as equal . '' Israel is opposed to any notion of a `` one-state solution , '' seeing it as a fundamental threat to the Jewish nature of the state . However , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been reluctant to embrace the idea of a two-state solution , something the United States and others see as the only way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict . Clinton returns to Washington later Wednesday . She said she felt `` very satisfied by what we accomplished on this trip '' despite the complex issues at hand . `` Every issue that we touched on during this trip is complicated and difficult ; each requires patience , perseverance and determination to see them through , '' Clinton said . `` If these were easy questions with simple answers , I would not have made this trip . '' She said that a key part of getting the peace process back on track is improving the image of the United States in the region . `` It is important to recognize that after a period of time in which the United States ' position was rejected or was certainly questioned , what we are doing is very carefully and consistently rebuilding those bonds , creating those partnerships , finding common ground so we and our international partners will be able to make progress , '' she said . When asked for a timeline of the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian talks , Clinton would only say , `` We are working hard to see that happen . I 'm not going to make predictions . ''
Hillary Clinton : Egypt `` essential partner '' in helping restart Mideast talks . Clinton meets with Egyptians after angering Palestinians with praise for Israel . Egyptians reportedly tell Clinton her comments perceived as `` a sort of backtracking '' are not helpful to the peace process, and that she should apologize or leave office.