Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – The Quartet Middle East Envoy Tony Blair warned on Sunday against the one-state solution to the Palestine/Israel conflict.

In an interview with CNN, the former British prime minster said, "The alternative to a two-state solution is a one-state solution and that will, I assure you, be a hell of a fight."

Blair added that he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is serious about resuming negotiations with the Palestinians.

"I've just spent some time with the Israeli prime minister, Mr Netanyahu," Blair said, "and I think he is genuine and serious in wanting the negotiations to start."

"The majority of people, both Israelis and Palestinians, want to see a two-state solution," he added, reiterating that Israel’s main concern remains security while Palestinians want assurances that negotiations will bring about the end of Israel’s occupation and the declaration of a Palestinian state.

"The Palestinians have made significant progress on security and the Israelis are prepared to change significantly their posture on the West Bank," he stressed.

In response to recent criticism of US President Barack Obama and US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell for wavering on Israel’s settlement policy and lacking defined objectives, Blair emphasized that Obama has made the Israeli-Palestinian peace process "a central strategic objective" at the beginning of his term.

"I have absolutely no doubt that he holds to that, and whatever the difficulties and the obstacles, we have to find a way through. And personally, I'm an optimist by nature and I believe we will," he concluded.