Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas and Israeli premier Ehud Olmert discussed some of the core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict when they met in Jerusalem on Monday. The two are plowing ahead with final-status talks in the hope that they can bring something concrete to the table at the international summit slated to take place in the fall. It is understood the status of Jerusalem and the final borders are being considered by the parties. Olmert has previously said he believes a Palestinian state will become a reality sooner than anyone thinks. A land swap does now appear to be the basis for a deal, with the Palestinians agreeing to allow some Israeli towns and villages to remain in the territories. In exchange, Israel will hand over some of its land in the southern Negev region and possibly in what is known as the triangle, an area with a large Arab population, fairly close to some of Israel’s major cities.