Tony Blair has said it is time for all those involved in the Middle East peace process "to get real" in order to make progress possible.

Speaking to the Saban Forum think-tank in Jerusalem, Mr Blair called on both Israel and Palestinians to become more proactive to create the conditions under which peace could be achieved.

"If Israel truly believes its long-term security is best served by the Palestinians having a state, it is time actually to make it happen; not to wait and see if it happens, but to push vigorously for the conditions in which it will happen," he said.

"This is the time for everyone to get real."

Mr Blair added: "If the Palestinians want a state, they have to accept the responsibility of statehood - taking the tough decisions to sort out their capability, most particularly on security.

"The Palestinian side has to prove that it can run a state and govern it well".

Mr Blair went on to say that the stumbling block in the talks between Israel and the Palestinians does not lie in the core issues of the conflict.

"The irony is the final settlement is not hard to see. It is visible in the distance, the house on the hill. But the path to it is utterly fraught," he said.

Mr Blair, who is working with the Palestinians on a plan to build state institutions ahead of an international donors' conference in Paris in December, also called on the international community to support the peace process.

"Intentions will not suffice. Only actions will. If the rest of us truly want to help, we are going to have to give it focus, time, relentless effort and support," he said.