Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday called Israel the "major obstacle" to peace in the Middle East and expressed his support in Palestinian 'resistance' to recover occupied land.

According to AFP, the Syrian leader blamed Israel for the failure of the indirect peace talks, saying that "the failure of the peace process is a blatant demonstration that Israel is the major obstacle to peace."

"Our experience with Israel during indirect peace negotiations mediated by Turkey is further proof of this," the French news agency quoted Assad as saying in an address to a ministerial meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Damascus.

The Syrian president went on to defend the right of Palestinians and Syrians to use force against Israel. "The failure of political methods to recover their legitimate rights gives them the right of resistance," he reportedly said.

On Friday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem responded to recent calls to renew peace negotiations with Jerusalem by saying that such talks were worthless in the absence of an Israeli promise to return the Golan Heights.

Moallem said Friday on Syrian state television that "an Israeli guarantee to withdraw from the Golan Heights is... necessary for peace.

"If Israel will not honor these needs, there is no point to conduct baseless peace talks," Moallem insisted.

Negotiations will not succeed if Israel does not show a real intention to achieve peace and without American involvement, Moallem said, adding that Damascus would not return to talks that would only "waste time."