David McGiffert, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense, arrived here from Cairo today and immediately went into the first of two scheduled meetings with Defense Minister Ezer Weizman. McGiffert declined to make any statement on his arrival. Tomorrow he will visit the two U.S. financed airfields being constructed for Israel in the Negev and will also visit Israel Aircraft Industries. He leaves Israel tomorrow afternoon.
Deputy Defense Minister Mordechai Zippori told reporters that the talks with McGiffert will deal with three main topics: the Negev airfields, over which the Pentagon official is in direct charge; the question of a new generation of the Israel made Kfir jet interceptor; and the matter of deferring some of Israel’s arms requests. Zippori said Israel was not cancelling those arms but would prefer to purchase them at a later date because of its present financial difficulties.
American plans to provide Egypt with sophisticated weapons may also come up during McGiffert’s visit. Premier Menachem Begin said today that Israel was keeping a close watch on that matter.
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