Israeli Leader Arrives in L.A. to Begin U.S. Visit : Diplomacy: Shamir is expected to promote economic ties and discuss recent Mideast peace talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir arrived in Los Angeles Friday to begin a 10-day visit to the United States to promote economic ties and discuss the historic peace process in the Middle East.

Shamir, who will spend four days in Los Angeles before traveling to Boston, New York, Washington and Baltimore, was greeted at Los Angeles International Airport by Mayor Tom Bradley, several City Council members, Zalman Shoval, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, and several local Jewish leaders.

“The Jewish community is anxious to hear what he has to say,” said Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who was among those who welcomed Shamir. “There is heightened interest in his visit because of the peace process and his personal role in the peace process.”

About 60 students from Stephen S. Wise Community High School waved Israeli flags and banners as Shamir, his wife, Shulamit, and Israeli government officials arrived at the airport. But Shamir made no public statement and was immediately taken by limousine to his hotel.

A spokesman for the Israeli consul general in Los Angeles said the 76-year-old prime minister was tired after a long flight and would make no public appearances until tonight, when he is scheduled to meet with a delegation of evangelical Christian leaders. Shamir’s visit to Los Angeles was scheduled before Israel and its Arab neighbors agreed to meet last month for peace talks in Madrid. The trip was set up to focus on economic issues, particularly developing ties between businesses in the two countries. Several Israeli industrialists accompanied the prime minister on the visit, the consulate spokesman said.

Shamir will speak in Beverly Hills at a business symposium aimed at attracting American investment in Israel, and will also make a separate appeal for financial support for Operation Exodus, a campaign to resettle Soviet Jews. About 185,000 Soviet Jews resettled in Israel last year, and an additional 126,500 have immigrated so far in 1991.

But intense interest in the fledgling peace process in the Middle East has prompted Shamir and his entourage to broaden the economic theme of the visit to include several public appearances on the peace talks.

The prime minister will address 2,000 Jewish community leaders on Sunday at Sinai Temple in West Los Angeles, and several thousand members of the World Affairs Council in Beverly Hills on Monday on the prospects for peace. In addition, Shulamit Shamir will meet with members of the Leadership of Women’s Alliance for Israel to discuss the Madrid talks.

Before leaving Los Angeles, Shamir will be awarded an honorary doctorate from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, despite protests from 32 rabbis who denounced him as a former terrorist incapable of making concessions for peace. Shamir is also scheduled to meet with Gov. Pete Wilson and former Secretary of State George P. Shultz.