Defense Minister Amir Peretz on Tuesday said Israel should take advantage of talks with Syria as soon as conditions allowed, adding that Syria would serve as the key to stability in the Middle East.

Speaking to delegates from the Forum of Leftist Organizations at the Dan Hotel, Peretz said that Syrian President Bashar Assad has been sending out a mixed a message with regard to Israel.

"Right now, the Syrian president is sending a double message," Peretz said. "On the one hand he goes out with declarations of war, and I have no intention of ignoring these declarations. We will raise security alerts in the north in accordance with the threats, we cannot ignore them in any way."

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"On the other hand, I believe that the minute conditions are made for talks with Syria, it must be done, because Syria is the key to stability in the Middle East," he said, adding, "I hope these conditions are made."

Seaking earlier Tuesday at the weekly meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Peretz said: "The Syrian alert level is greater than it was before the war in Lebanon, but lower than it was during the war. Our alert level is determined by the Syrian alert level and by their missile deployment, not by this or that statement. Syria is an element that can influence the strengthening of the Axis of Evil or its weakening."

Peretz stressed that the conflict with Syria would ultimately be resolved diplomatically and entail concessions on Israel's part. Speaking to reporters after the Knesset committee meeting, Peretz said: "We have no intention of blinking. We shall prepare appropriately, but if a situation arises in which we reach the conclusion that Syria has genuine intentions to hold talks, I suggest that we not close the door."

Peretz: PA unity gov't seems set to 'whitewash' terror
The Defense Minister also told delegates at the Dan Hotel late Tuesday that he supports holding negotiations with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, but said he opposed the formation of a Palestinian unity government with Hamas which he said seemed designated to "whitewash" terror.

"I have no intention of judging the meaning behind a unity government if it is establishment, but I advise against dancing in the street with drums [saying] that peace has arrived," he said.

"I have no doubt that sooner or later - I hope sooner - discussions will begin. With all the hardships in Palestinian society, I would open immediate discussions with Abu Mazen," he said, referring to Abbas'. "The PA chairman is capable of standing up to the conditions set out by Israel and the international community," he added.

The Defense Minister told delegates that the Israeli public seems to leaning politically toward the right.

"Right now there is the sentiment that the public is going right," Peretz told delegates at the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv. "This is a sentiment that generally is created after war. Don't ascribe this to one party or another."

Peretz also said, with regard to the upcoming olive harvest in the West Bank, that he would use "force and a strong hand" to deal with anyone who tried to harm families going out to harvest.

In recent years, settlers have used the olive harvest to harass Palestinian farmers in the West Bank.

Peretz asked peace activists "not to do the IDF's work" in the West Bank, in light of complaints he has received aboutleft-wing activists "creating provocations."

One of the delegates told Peretz that the security system has hindered peace meetings between Israelis and Palestinians.

Peretz told delegates, "I do not intend to apologize for anyone, I feel as much a man of peace as anyone," adding, "nobody will convince me that the struggle against terror is the reason that the political process has halted."