Israel stated that it was willing 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 the importance of having open and sincere discussions rather than making demands. He expressed his readiness to consider the Arab peace initiative and work towards a comprehensive peace with the involvement of other Arab states. Olmert stressed that the negotiations should be a dialogue rather than a one-sided demand. His comments were released one day after the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War, in which Israel emerged victorious over Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in just a week, gaining control of the Sinai peninsula, Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, and West Bank, including Arab East Jerusalem. The Arab peace plan, which was approved at a summit in March, proposes that Israel receive normal relations with the Arab world in exchange for a Palestinian state and complete withdrawal from the territories captured in the 1967 conflict. Olmert has expressed willingness to engage in discussions regarding the Arab proposal, but progress has been slow, particularly due to heightened tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in recent weeks, fueled by escalating violence in Gaza. A planned summit between Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, set to address Palestinian statehood issues, was postponed at the request of the Palestinians, who stated that certain agreements needed to be reached before negotiations could take place. In a column published alongside Olmert's, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh stated that for peace to be achieved, Israel must acknowledge the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, including the right of refugees to return. Haniyeh emphasized that while Israel may have gained control of Palestinian land in the 1967 war, it did not conquer the people. He argued that the ongoing conflicts and instability in the Middle East over the past 40 years have been a result of this occupation. Haniyeh outlined several steps that Israel must take for the situation to improve, including withdrawing from all territories occupied in 1967, dismantling settlements in the West Bank, releasing Palestinian prisoners, and recognizing the right of refugees to return. He stressed that for peace to be a reality, Israel must acknowledge and respect these basic rights of the Palestinian people. We will continue our fight for freedom and for the reunification of all our children in an independent Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.