In Syria, where US support for Israel is strongly resented, political analyst Imad Fawzi al-Shueibi said of Bush's victory: "I expect another nightmare for the next four years."
Former president Bill Clinton, spent his last days in office trying to broker a Palestinian-Israeli solution. That was seen as a bid by a second-term president to ensure he went down in history as a peacemaker.
Walid Kazziha, an Egyptian political scientist, said Bush, like Clinton, may now turn his attention to his legacy and focus new energy on the Mideast conflict. But Kazziha, who accused Bush of taking a "hands-off" policy on this issue so far, said he feared chances of a new attitude were only slight.
But Ahmed Khattab, a 20-year-old junior at the American University in Cairo, worried Bush would focus on his unrivaled power.
"He'll be a lot more bold in his actions in the Middle East. He'll put a lot more pressure on Iran, on Syria," Khattab said. "He's ignored the peace process ... and I think that will continue."
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