On Wednesday, Israel stated its willingness to make difficult compromises in order to achieve peace with the Palestinians through an Arab initiative supported by Egypt and Jordan. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert emphasized in an article for Britain's Guardian newspaper that any negotiations should be conducted through open and sincere discussions, rather than as ultimatums. He expressed a serious consideration of the offer for full normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab world and emphasized the importance of pursuing a comprehensive peace with energy and vision alongside Jordan and Egypt, and potentially other Arab states. However, Olmert stressed that the talks should be approached as a dialogue, rather than imposing ultimatums. His comments were released a day after the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War, in which Israel defeated Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in a week, gaining control of the Sinai peninsula, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, and West Bank, including Arab East Jerusalem. The Arab peace plan, approved at a summit in March, proposes normalizing relations between Israel and the Arab world in exchange for a Palestinian state and full withdrawal from the territories taken in the 1967 conflict. Olmert has expressed willingness to discuss the Arab proposal, but progress has been slow, especially due to recent tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, exacerbated by violence in Gaza. A scheduled summit between Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, intended to address Palestinian statehood, was postponed at the request of Palestinian officials who stated that certain agreements needed to be finalized before talks could proceed. In a column published alongside Olmert's, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh emphasized that for peace to be achieved, Israel must acknowledge the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, including the right of refugees from the 1948 conflict to return. Haniyeh stated that the 1967 war led to ongoing conflicts and instability in the Middle East, and called for Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, dismantle settlements in the West Bank, release Palestinian prisoners, and recognize the right of refugees to return. Haniyeh asserted that Israel must recognize these basic rights if it is serious about achieving peace. Our fight for freedom and the reunification of all our children in a fully independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital, cannot be halted.