Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Saturday greeted plans for the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians, dpa reported.
They are "an essential strategic interest for Israel," the newspaper Haaretz quoted him as saying. The negotiations are important not only to end the conflict with the Palestinians but also in light of the nuclear threat from Iran and the civil war in neighbouring Syria, the Israeli leader said.
Netanyahu also thanked US Secretary of State John Kerry, who on Friday announced that Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to resume peace talks.
"I have in mind a number of objectives, preventing the creation of a bi-national state between the Jordan River and the sea, which will endanger the future of the Jewish State, and preventing the creation of another Iranian-backed terrorist state within Israel's borders, which could no less endanger us," Netanyahu said.