Egypt is in turmoil again. Syria is embroiled in civil war. Iran continues building a nuclear device. Militants in Iraq have killed an estimated 4,000 people so far this year, more than 800 of them in July alone, according to the aptly named web site, Iraq Body Count (www.iraqbodycount.org).

And what is Secretary of State John Kerry’s focus? It is the never-ending Israeli-Palestinian conflict.