Israel ready to talk 'but with no preconditions'

Occupied Jerusalem: Israel said Thursday it was ready to talk peace with Syria, whose leader is visiting Paris on the heels of talks there between President Nicolas Sarkozy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The prime minister said that he would be willing to immediately open negotiations anywhere, any time, as long as the talks are held without preconditions, either from Israel or from Syria," Israeli cabinet secretary Zvi Hauser told Israel Radio.

"The prime minister has held a consistent line in the past few months since taking office in favour of opening talks ... Israel does not place preconditions. Israel offers the hand of peace," Hauser said.

Speculation on a Syria peace track rose as prospects for a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations dimmed, with President Mahmoud Abbas resisting appeals from Israel and the US to relaunch suspended talks without insisting on an Israeli colony freeze in the occupied West Bank.