JERICHO, West Bank, Aug 06, SPA -- Ehud Olmert on Monday will become the first Israeli prime minister to visit a Palestinian city since the outbreak of fighting seven years ago, meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Jericho to discuss the creation of a Palestinian state. Jericho is one of the West Bank's most peaceful cities and the venue, a five-star hotel, is located on the outskirtsof town, just a few hundred yards from a permanent Israeliarmy checkpoint. On Monday morning, several hours before the start of the talks, Palestinian police surrounded Jericho'sIntercontinental Hotel, keeping onlookers away. No Israelisecurity personnel were in evidence yet, the Associated Press reported. The Abbas-Olmert meeting is one in a series of sessions, meant to prepare for an international Mideast conference in the U.S. in November. The Palestinians hope the two leaders will sketch theoutlines of a final peace deal, to be presented to the U.S. conference, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Monday. The four core issues of a future peace deal are the finalborders of a Palestinian state, a division of Jerusalem, aremoval of Israeli settlements and the fate of Palestinianrefugees. «What they need to do is to establish the parameters for solving all these issues,» Erekat said. «Once theparameters are established, then it can be deferred toexperts» for drafting. However, David Baker, an official in Olmert's office, saidthe core issues would not be discussed now. The leaders will discuss humanitarian aid to thePalestinians and Israeli security concerns, as well as theinstitutions of a future Palestinian state, Baker said. Baker said the meeting is a signal of Israeli good will,adding that Olmert «intends for this to be a productivemeeting to enable progress with the Palestinians.»--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/473078