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Push for Peace Poses Domestic Political Risk for Bush
(Los Angeles Times) - Ronald Brownstein President Bush's intensified drive for peace in the Middle East could expose him to political risks at home, analysts say. Bush's meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers Wednesday culminated a stunning shift that has seen the president both escalate his personal involvement in negotiations and exert more pressure on Israel than at any point in his term. While polls show that most Americans support that approach, Bush's push for concessions from Israel as part of the peace process raises red flags among pro-Israel evangelical Christians - a core element of his political coalition - and conservative Jews who have liked the president's staunch support for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. "Significant portions of both the Christian base that Bush already has and Jewish voters that he hoped to get are increasingly concerned," said Gary Bauer, a leader among conservative Christians. Yet Bush's drive to advance the "road map" is receiving positive marks from more liberal Jewish leaders who in the past have criticized him.