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Morton A. Kaplan is distinguished service professor of political science emeritus at the University of Chicago and is the author of System and Process in International Politics, recently republished by the European Consortium on Political Research in their classics of political science series. He is co-author with Nicholas deb. Katzenbach, a former attorney general of the United States, of The Political Foundations of International Law, which has been translated into numerous foreign languages. Adapted from the source document.

In this commentary, Morton A. Kaplan notes what he believes are misperceptions on the part of Rathman, but for the most part Rathman has provided an historical overview of the issues which allows a framework for Kaplan to elaborate on his own professional experience as a political scientist involved in the relationship between Israel and the United States for more than 50 years. Kaplan believes that, despite its problems, the creation of the state of Israel was the best solution proposed to the problem of finding a place for Jews displaced by the Holocaust and World War II. However, Israel has existed under constant attack and has never enjoyed unqualified support from the United States, which also has attempted to develop allies among neighboring Arab states. In addition, the United Nations has never developed any real solution to the ongoing violence in the Middle East. Adapted from the source document.

A comment on Robert E. Looney's article, "Middle East Reform Initiatives: A Stage-Theory Perspective," applauds Looney's understanding of President George W. Bush's idealistic plan to use Saddam Hussein to start democratic development in the Middle East. It is contended that Bush did not lie about the existence of weapons of mass destruction; even some Iraqi generals believed other divisions of the military had them. However, there is doubt about the chances that democratic development will develop in the Middle East if a stable democratic government is formed in Iraq. Development requires at least "the rule of law & a minimum of ethics" &, in spite of Enron et cetera, American legal & corporate practices are far more ethical than Middle Eastern ones. Situations in Egypt & Kuwait are described to support the argument. Even if President Bush fails to succeed, there is no doubt that both his motivations & the justice of the cause were above reproach. J. Lindroth