Israel will not negotiate with Syria as long as the country continued to back militant groups, an official in the Prime Minister's Office said Monday.

"Israel has always been heavily interested in achieving peace with its neighbors," said Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. "Bashar al-Assad has no interest in peace."

Assad told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Monday that he was willing to hear if Israel was ready for rapprochement, but questioned whether the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is strong enough to move towards peace.

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"He is worried about world reaction to his involvement in funding and backing and safe-havening terrorism," said Eisin. "He should be noted by his actions, not his words."

On Saturday, the Syrian president told a Kuwaiti newspaper that the Syrian military is preparing for war with Israel, saying Israel could attack Syria "at any moment."

The United States and Israel say Syria arms and funds factions sworn to Israel's destruction, such as Hezbollah and Hamas, whose political leader Khaled Mashal lives in Damascus.

Assad has denied this. He told the BBC that Syria had offered Hezbollah political support only and rejected accusations that it was a terrorist organization. He also said his country would help ensure the Lebanese group did not acquire new weapons.

For Israel to agree to renew negotiations, Syria would first need to change its stance regarding terrorist groups, Eisin said.

"Simple things - not allowing all the terrorist organizations to have their headquarters openly in Damascus," she said. "To not have the foreign minister of Syria say he wishes he could be fighting with Hezbollah would be a great step in the right direction."

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said during the Lebanon war that he would be "ready to be a soldier at the disposal of [Hezbollah leader] Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah."