Chancellor Helmut Kohl will visit Israel from August 31 through September 4, government sources said today. Official announcements are expected shortly here and in Jerusalem.
Kohl, who just returned from Moscow, is expected to visit Arab countries after Israel. While in Jerusalem, he will have several meetings with Premier Menachem Begin to discuss bilateral relations and the Arab-Israeli conflict, the sources said. They are also likely to discuss German plans to sell advanced weaponry to Saudi Arabia, notably the Leopard 11 tank, which Israel adamantly opposes.
Government circles here hope that Israelis can be persuaded to mute their objectives. In that case, Bonn will propose to sell Israel the 120 mm. cannon that goes with the Leopard 11, a weapon the Germans say can be very useful to Israel and save it the costs of developing a similar cannon, estimated at over $1 billion.
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