Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday expressed his hope that the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks would be resumed in "next few weeks," but analysts said that the resumption will still take some time.

"We want peace with Palestinians, we want both Palestinians and Israelis to live together in peace side by side, we want to start peace talks with the Palestinians in the next few weeks," said Netanyahu in Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday noon at a joint press conference after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

He is on his first foreign visit since he took office in late March.

Dr. Jonathan Spyer, an expert on Middle East affairs and Israeli-Palestinian affairs, told Xinhua that time is needed for the resumption of the peace talks, which have been halted since the end of last year when the 22-day devastating Gaza war broke out.

"At the moment, I think the remarks made by Netanyahu indicate that he is a bit optimistic about the prospect of the talks," said the expert on the phone, who is affiliated to Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center at the Inter-Disciplinary Center in Herzliya.

Spyer said that due to the division of opinions between Israel and the Palestinians, notably about the two-state guideline, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) might not even agree to meet Israeli officials.

However, Netanyahu, who is scheduled to visit the United States a week later, when a showdown of his Middle East policy is expected, is likely to express his support for the two-state guideline, said the expert, adding that it will lead to the resumption of the peace talks.

"We can not rule out the possibility. We will wait and see," he said.

On last Monday, Netanyahu, who spoke from Israel via satellite to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual conference in Washington, said that "We are prepared to resume peace negotiations without any delay, without any preconditions. The sooner, the better."

The prime minister's fresh approach involves a triple track toward peace between Israel and the Palestinians, namely a political track, a security track and an economic track. But both the West-backed Palestinian National Authority and the Islamic Hamas movement have rejected the "economy for peace" scheme.

"The resumption of the peace talks is a matter of time," Eli Shaked, former Israeli ambassador to Egypt, told Xinhua on the phone, adding that both Israel and the PNA are interested in resuming the peace negotiations.

He noted that while Netanyahu stopped short of endorsing the two-state solution, Israel has already expressed its acceptance of the road map to peace which will lead to a two-state solution, adding it can serve as a basis for the resumption of the peace talks.

Earlier this month, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon said that Israel would accept a comprehensive peace agreement with the Palestinians that will entail a two-state solution.

"The government of Israel, because of our democratic tradition and because of the continuity principle, is going to abide by all previous commitments the former government took, including the acceptance of the road map to peace which will lead to a two-state solution," said Ayalon, referring to the internationally backed 2002 peace plan.

After Netanyahu returns from his trip to Washington, the issue of resuming the peace talks will become clearer, said Shaked, adding that "I do not think it will be a real problem."