Weizman, Sadat Due to Confer

Israeli Defense Minister Ezer Weizman will meet with President Aswan Sadat at Aswan tomorrow, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned from an informed source here today. The meeting will take place after Weizman arrives in Cairo for the opening of the Israeli-Egyptian joint military committee sessions.

(Meanwhile, Sadat has moved to contain the escalation of inflammatory statements and counterstatements between Israel and Egypt during the last few days. See story P. 3.)

Weizman, heading the Israeli negotiating team, is due in Cairo at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow local time and the military committee will meet for its ceremonial opening at 4 p.m. This allows ample time for Weizman to fly to Aswan where Sadat is presently staying. (Kol Israel radio reported tonight that Weizman was invited to Aswan by Sadat and will be flown there in the Egyptian President’s private plane.)

The Sadat-Weizman meeting appears to bear out earlier predictions by Israeli sources that the military committee in Cairo will deal with basic political matters as well as with military and security issues in Sinai. It would also signify that Sadat reserves the option to intercede personally at crucial junctures of the Cairo talks to settle problems with Weizman directly. Sources both in Cairo and Jerusalem agree that Sadat thinks highly of the Israeli defense chief and likes “doing business” with him.

If a regular Sadat-Weizman dialogue is established by tomorrow’s meeting, it would have the effect of upgrading the Cairo military committee talks at the expense of the political committee meetings that start in Jerusalem next Monday.