Israel stated on Wednesday that it was willing to make difficult compromises in order to achieve peace with the Palestinians, using an Arab proposal backed by Egypt and Jordan. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert emphasized in an article for the Guardian that any negotiations should be conducted as a dialogue rather than a demand. Olmert expressed his willingness to engage in open and sincere discussions about the Arab peace initiative, recognizing the potential for full normalization of relations between Israel and Arab nations. He stressed the importance of actively pursuing a comprehensive peace with the involvement of Jordan, Egypt, and potentially other Arab countries, while emphasizing the need for talks to be based on discussion rather than ultimatums. His comments were released the day after the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War, in which Israel defeated Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in just one week, gaining control of the Sinai peninsula, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, and West Bank, including Arab East Jerusalem. The Arab peace plan, agreed upon at a summit in March, proposes normalizing relations between Israel and the Arab world in exchange for a Palestinian state and complete withdrawal from the territories captured in the 1967 conflict. Olmert has expressed readiness to engage in discussions regarding the Arab proposal, but progress has been slow, exacerbated by recent tensions between Israelis and Palestinians due to escalating violence in Gaza. A scheduled summit between Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, intended to address Palestinian statehood issues, was postponed at the request of the Palestinians, who cited unresolved agreements that needed to be addressed beforehand. In a column published alongside Olmert's, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh stated that for Israel to truly seek peace, it must acknowledge the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, including the right of refugees from 1948 to return. Haniyeh emphasized that while Israel may have conquered the land of Palestine in 1967, it did not conquer the people, leading to decades of conflict and instability in the Middle East. In order for the situation to improve, Haniyeh called for Israel to withdraw from all territories occupied in 1967, dismantle settlements in the West Bank, release Palestinian prisoners, and recognize the right of refugees to return. Haniyeh stressed that for genuine peace, Israel must respect these fundamental rights of the Palestinian people. Our fight for freedom and the reunification of all our children in a completely independent Palestine, with its capital in Jerusalem, will not be halted.