1.
SV Peres seated with interviewer (MUTE)
0.08

2.
CU Mr Peres speaking to reporter
1.44


TRANSCRIPT: (SEQ. 2) PERES: "....not really because such a state...you know many democratic countries, including Great Britain, giving independence, didn't pay too much attention to the nature of system that took over from them and this created many dictatorships, some of them terribly ugly, belligerent as for example, in Uganda. Now a democracy giving birth to belligerency and dictatorship is not just a mistake but a sin as well. When we are talking about the Palestinian state, why should we impose upon a rather intelligent, and free and flourishing community on the west bank the leadership of Arafat and company. I'm sure that every West Banker, when you would face him separately and you will ask him what will he prefer: a king or a dictator, he will tell you: 'give me the court, not the gun.'"



REPORTER: "But the fact is, is it not that most of the mayors on the West Bank are openly supporters of the PLO and of Yasser Arafat?"



PERES: "This is not their only position, they are also supporting the king. They travel as well to Amman. They remain loyal Jordanian citizens. But when we sit with them, what is their preference, undoubtedly the throne of Hussein and not the prospect of Arafat.




Initials BB/1750


TELERECORDING
REPORTER: MICHAEL DELAHAY

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: INTRODUCTION: Mr. Shimon Peres, newly-declared leader of the Israeli Labour party, and possible new Prime Minister after next month's election, has played down the influence of the Palestine Liberation Organisation on the west bank of the Jordan.

He expressed this view to BBC reporter Michael Delahay in one of his first interviews since his appointment.