Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset on Monday that he was making a "real effort" to reach peace with the Palestinians but insisted he would stick to a hard-line stance.

This drew jeers from opposition MPs and Palestinians questioned his commitment to peace.

Under heavy US pressure, Israel and the Palestinians in July began the first major peace talks in nearly five years.

Mr Netanyahu gave no signs that any progress had been made and repeated that he would never compromise on his insistence that Palestinians recognise Israel as the Jewish homeland or his refusal to allow international troops to safeguard a final peace deal.

Mr Netanyahu rejects full withdrawal from the West Bank and says he will never relinquish control of east Jerusalem.

The Palestinians reject his continuing demand that Israel keep troops in the West Bank.

They also say that recognising Israel as a "Jewish" state would harm the interests of Israel's Arab minority as well as those of Palestinian refugees who still own disputed properties in Israel.

Arab MPs heckled Mr Netanyahu as he spoke of an ancient Jewish connection to Israel.

And senior Palestinian spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi accused Mr Netanyahu of trying to torpedo the talks by "insisting that the Palestinians renounce their rights."

She said: "I think these are impossible conditions and set to start a blame game, while destroying the negotiations and pre-empting the outcome by making sure talks will fail."