With summer and political obstacles already heating up, a number of world leaders took to the road to pitch their positions, seeking support before things become too hot and improve their image. With President George Bush wanting to play a larger role in the Middle East and improve the image of the US within the Muslim world, he wisely sent the First Lady, his Number One envoy to Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Mrs. Bush, en route to the World Economic Forum in Amman, Jordan , stopped off in Jerusalem to visit two of the holiest religious sites, the Western Wall of the Temple and the Harim as-Sharif, better known as the Dome of the Rock.

It was here that Mrs. Bush received a crash course in Middle Eastern politics. Even at the holiest places, tempers and emotions often boil over, as Mrs. Bush found out when she was heckled by individuals who sought the release of Jonathan Pollard. Pollard, the convicted Israeli spy, is serving a life sentence for passing classified materials to Israel. Security was tight around Mrs. Bush and Gila Katsav, the wife of Israeli President Moshe Katsav , who escorted her to the Wall. Jerusalem?s Chief of Police Illan Franco and an enhanced security team were on hand to oversee the security at this pivotal hotspot and holy site.