Israel rejected a Syrian offer for an unconditional resumption of peace talks on Wednesday, dismissing it as "nothing new."

The offer was made public by UN envoy to the Middle East Terje Roed-Larsen after holding talks in Damascus.

"The problem is not with Syrian words; it's Syrian activity," said Mark Regev, spokesman of Israel's Foreign Ministry. There was "nothing new" in (Syrian President Bashar) Assad's remarks, Regev commented, saying Israel wanted to see a change in Syria's behavior if Syria wished to be eyed as a peace partner. "You cannot on the one hand say you're interested in peace and at the same time have a partnership with a group like Hezbollah, which is antithetical to peace," he said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said earlier on Wednesday that Israel would not take any Syrian overture seriously until Damascus stops giving shelter to "terrorist organizations". Peace talks between Syria and Israel foundered in 2000 over the issue of how much of the occupied Golan Height would be handed back to Syria.

Israel captured the strategic plateau in the 1967 Middle East War and annexed it in 1981 in a move unrecognized by the international community.

Israeli Ariel Sharon's government has ruled out peacemaking with Syria unless Damascus ends support for Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas and Palestinian militants who stage attacks against Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Larsen arrived in Damascus earlier on Wednesday for a one-day working visit and was scheduled to visit Beirut Thursday.

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2004)