On Tuesday, The New York Times ran a story to prove Barack Obama was no different than most of his immediate predecessors. As the days remaining in office dwindle, presidents sense that it becomes legacy-building time — and what better way to be fondly remembered in the annals of history but to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians?

While Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all tried to tackle the problem, the Times notes the desperation inherent in preserving the “two-state solution.” According to former Israeli-Palestinian special envoy Martin Indyk, “I think [Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry] feel a responsibility, above all to Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state, to preserve the principles of a two-state solution.”

Adding to the urgency of the situation, the Times goes on to cite unnamed “officials” that tell of a “mounting American concern” that continuing to build Jewish settlements on the West Bank will make it impossible to have a “geographically and politically viable” Palestinian state.

As is so often the case with Obama, though, pining for resolution in year eight by necessity involves addressing the problems created in years one through seven. Or, in his case, either ignoring those problems or pretending they were actually successes.

Obama took office in the wake of an Israeli offensive intended to stop rocket attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip, a military operation effective in its goal but predictably criticized by the “international” community. Foreshadowing his ability to lead from behind, Obama aroused the ire of his far-Left, pro-Palestinian allies by noting at the time he was still the president-elect and that the United States could, as adviser David Axelrod pointed out, “only have one president at a time.”

Once he became president, however, Obama pivoted to address other parts of the Middle East: withdrawing troops from Iraq to give him a re-election campaign issue that he later backed away from, drawing “red lines” in Syria that were crossed with impunity, spinning a false narrative about the death of four Americans in Benghazi, and, worst of all from Israel’s perspective, allowing Iran to become a nuclear nation.

So Iran is strong, Iraq (and increasingly Afghanistan) is in the hands of terrorists, and let’s not forget North Korea’s emboldened saber rattling. In short, the Axis of Evil is stronger than ever.

Meanwhile, the bitterness between the United States and Israel continues, and the strife between Israel and the Palestinians isn’t improving, either. Citing a desire not to get involved further in the American presidential election, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a visit proposed for later this month; however, reports indicate that the two nations have hit a snag in a $30 billion weapons deal for Israel.

Instead, Joe Biden made the trip to Israel, where he met separately with both Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Biden was greeted by the news of a terrorist stabbing rampage that took the life of a remarkable young Texan — 28-year-old Taylor Force, a former Eagle Scout, West Point graduate and veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Biden said in a statement that there was “no justification for such acts of terror.” Indeed, there has never been any justification for the barbarism radical Muslims regularly perpetrate against Jews, Christians and Westerners. But Biden’s milquetoast statement is as bold as he or his boss ever get.

Barack Obama has less than a year remaining in office, which unfortunately is more than enough time to continue his blundering policies in that volatile region.