An Israeli cabinet minister said on Friday that Israel was attempting to revive peace negotiations with Syria, just days after Ehud Olmert, prime minister, hinted at secret contacts with its Arab neighbour.

Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Israel’s infrastructure minister, told Israel Radio: “Every effort is being made for Syria to sit at the negotiating table” in order to “sign a peace treaty”. He added: “We know exactly what the price of this agreement is.” When asked if the price was to give up control of the Golan Heights, occupied in the 1967 Middle East war, Mr Ben-Eliezer said: “That’s right.”