News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Monday’s meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is expected to focus on the establishment of a PA state and other issues leading up to the U.S.-planned Arab-Israeli summit this fall, rather than more “good will” gestures by Israel, sources in Jerusalem said Sunday.

“We’ve only just handed over a vast sum of money, released prisoners, provided military aid and authorized outside military aid,” said the official. “We conceived a very handsome package…[which] bore results, stabilizing Abbas.”  He added that final status issues would not be discussed.

PA sources said that Abbas, however, will nonetheless focus his efforts on final status issues, including the PA demand to divide Jerusalem, allow the immigration of more than five million foreign Arabs claiming they are descendants of those who fled Israel in previous wars, and permanent borders.

Olmert will reportedly stick to the issue of border crossings, security checkpoints and humanitarian aid.