Gossip in Jerusalem suggests that many Israelis misunderstand John Kerry’s obsession with the peace process: They believe that the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate is using Israeli-Palestinian negotiations as a platform to challenge Hillary Clinton for the 2016 nomination. That’s not likely. Instead, it’s in comparing Kerry’s dogged efforts to that of his predecessor that Kerry’s real motives become clear. Clinton left a light footprint as secretary of state because she didn’t want anything sticking to her when campaign season rolls around. Kerry on the other hand is doubling down on the peace process because the 70-year-old former senator knows this is his swan song and wants to leave his permanent legacy as a statesman. The problem is that in securing that legacy Kerry may wind up leaving on Israel’s doorstep what the White House believes is the greatest threat to American national security—al Qaeda.

As executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Robert Satloff explains, the Obama administration’s approach to the peace process is very different from how it saw the conflict in the first term. “Today, the peace process is not the top priority,” writes Satloff, and “the president is not personally engaged.” Moreover, as Satloff writes, “if certain reports are true, the White House has even interfered somewhat in [Kerry’s] efforts.”