From AFP:  Germany has allowed the sale of 200 Leopard tanks to Saudi Arabia after decades of blocking heavy weapons sales to the kingdom, the Der Spiegel said Saturday.

The federal security council approved the sale last week, the weekly news magazine said without citing sources.

The Saudis want to buy 200 Leopard 2A7+ tanks in an order potentially worth billions of euros to companies Kraus-Maffei and Rheinmetall, Der Spiegel said.

From Erik Kirschbaum, Reuters:  Der Spiegel said Saudi Arabia has long sought the Leopard tanks from Germany but the country had repeatedly turned down the requests, citing a danger to Israel. The report said the government no longer considered Saudi Arabia a threat for Israel.  (photo: Eric Piermont/AFP)