An Interview with Shimon Peres

"We are not ready to endanger our security, but we shall look for ways of making peace "

Hoarse from campaigning but buoyant over public opinion polls that show his party in the lead, Labor Leader Shimon Peres discussed the upcoming election last week with TIME Correspondents Harry Kelly and David Halevy.

Excerpts:

On His Platform. Message No. 1 is that we are calling for the unity of the people. Message No. 2 is that we have to return from an economy of the privileged to an economy of permanent work.

Message No. 3 is that while we are not ready to endanger our security, we shall look for ways of making peace. We believe in both security and peace.

On the Economy. The people are basically divided into two groups: the haves, who are in good shape but do not have confidence in the future, and the havenots, who can hardly make ends meet. We do not believe that austerity will serve a purpose. We believe in changing national priorities, cutting expenses from the political wings, not from social programs, and in reaching a social contract between trade unions and industry. We will not permit the increase in the standard of living to exceed the increase in production. We would like to direct savings into industry, agriculture and tourism. If this is done, we shall again be able to mobilize investment in Israel.

I would like to see Israel acting economically as a university and socially as a kibbutz. Since we are such a small country, everything must be based on science and technology. We have the potential to introduce human cooperation and mutual aid--to create again a spirit of pioneering.

On the West Bank. We would stop building settlements in the densely populated Arab areas. The Likud spent something like $3.5 billion over the past seven years in the West Bank with very modest results, an increase of 15,000 Jewish settlers. That is a tremendous price, so we are going to cut it.

In addition, we are going to suggest to the Jordanians the opening of meaningful negotiations, not necessarily based on the Camp David agreement. We would like to have representatives of Palestinian groups in the Jordanian delegation, but not the P.L.O.

Many of us understand that to incorporate [1.4 million] Arabs against their will in Israel will simply endanger the future and destiny and character of Israel. We would like to see a joint plan comprising all countries for the economic and social development of the Middle East. Our vision is that Israel will excel not just as a military force but in offering aid and support to pacify the region, develop its people and move ahead together.

On Lebanon. We feel that within three to six months we can introduce the necessary measures to make the Galilee a safe place, enabling us to bring our boys home. We want to establish an early warning system in southern Lebanon, and to have a mobile force in northern Israel. We want to strengthen the southern Lebanese Army, supported by the local people, and to have United Nations forces north of the southern Lebanese Army and west of the Syrian army.

On U.S. Aid. We don't have much choice as long as the Soviets are involved. Israel cannot face both the Soviets and the Arabs. But we should minimize this dependency so it won't become a burden on the U.S. or an insult to Israel itself.

On His First Month as Prime Minister If He Is Elected. We are going to implement our policy in Lebanon. In addition to changing the settlement policy in the West Bank, we are going to hand civil authority to the local people. We are going to invite Jordan to negotiate and suggest to Egypt to start the talks on autonomy again. We are going to suggest turning the Gulf of Aqaba into a secure and tranquil zone that may serve as an alternative to the Persian Gulf.