Israeli President Shimon Peres said on Tuesday the anti-government protests sweeping the Arab world that have toppled the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt are an "opportunity for peace" in the Middle East.
"We believe that the biggest guarantee of peace is having democracy in our neighbours. We are happy to witness this democratic revolution which is taking place in the Arab world," he said here in an address to the Spanish parliament.
"Now is precisely the time to resume the talks between us and the Palestinians. I say to our Palestinian neighbours: 'Let's return immediately to the negotiating table'. This storm is also an opportunity for peace."
World powers have been seeking a way to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table after direct peace talks broke down last September in a dispute over Jewish settlements and occupied Jerusalem.
Peres, who began a four-day official visit to Spain on Monday, also credited the Internet and social media for fueling the unprecedented uprisings sweeping the Middle East.
"Internet, Twitter, Facebook have opened eyes in a big way and I guess that they will not allow those eyes of the people to close again or cover the ears of the world," he said, in the address delivered in Hebrew.
"It is difficult to be a dictator when we live in a transparent world," he added.
Some Israeli officials have expressed concern over the future of the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, a pillar of Israel's security strategy, following the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after 18 days of relentless protest against his rule.
No major group in Egypt is calling for the outright abrogation of the treaty although the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group with deep roots in Egypt's conservative Muslim society, wants it put to a referendum.
The group has historic and ideological ties with Hamas which governs Gaza and it has said it would campaign against the treaty if a referendum were held.
Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel, followed by Jordan in 1994. An interim accord was reached with Palestinians in 1993.
"We aspire to a lasting peace with all our neighbours, including Syria and Lebanon. I turn to Syria and ask that they do not become hostages to Iran.
Iran is not seeking peace. Iran only brings terrorism and hate," Peres said.
The Israeli president also accused Iran of "creating visible and hidden terrorist cells in other nations, in the Middle East and even in Latin America." He gave no further details.
Egypt's uprising followed one in Tunisia which overthrew President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January. Protests have also erupted in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Jordan, Yemen and Bahrain.
Spain and Israel agreed on the need for the international community to help Arab countries become more democratic by improving political, social and economic conditions, the Spanish government said in a statement after Peres met Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.