Mideast peace talks will resume in 'coming weeks': Israeli PM

"I have reasons to believe, realistically, that we will resume the peace process with the Palestinians, without prior conditions, in the coming weeks," he told a conference on security in Herzliya, northern Israel.

Without providing details, the premier suggested that the United States had a hand in the breakthrough.

"It is customary to say that it takes two to tango, but it sometimes takes three in the Middle East, at least to get started dancing the tango, after which I suppose a couple can carry on dancing," he said.

"I hope that if there is willingness on the Palestinian side to build peace, to conduct negotiations to reach a peace accord, we will see a resumption of the peace process in the coming weeks," he added.

Talks came to an abrupt halt when Israel invaded the Gaza Strip in December 2008 in a brief but very deadly war.

Since then, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has steadfastly refused to resume negotiations until Israel completely halts construction in the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem. Netanyahu has been unwilling to do that.