Leopards Can't Change Their Spots--But In Gaza, Donkeys Can Change Their Stripes (Updated)

Palestinian terrorists have had a soft spot for blowing up donkeys in an effort to kill Israelis. The most famous case was in 2003--when Arafat received a letter from PETA-- and Tom Gross lists other times when donkeys were used to blow up Israelis:

* In the Gaza Strip in June 2001, a Palestinian drove a donkey cart laden with explosives toward a group of Israelis. At the last minute he jumped off the cart and detonated the bombs that exploded only partially. The cart had been loaded with four gas canisters, two mines, a bag of oil, and a bag of nails.

* In January 2001, terrorists left a donkey cart laden with explosives unattended near the Netzarim junction. Israeli soldiers fired at the cart, detonating the large amount of explosives and killing the donkey.

* In June 1995, a Palestinian suicide bomber detonated a donkey-led cart rigged with explosives near an IDF base near Khan Yunis. No soldiers were wounded in the blast, but the Palestinian and the donkey were killed.

Now it looks like Palestinian Arabs have finally found a peaceful use for the common donkey. The Telegraph reports:

Gaza zookeepers draw crowds with painted donkeys after zebras die

A zoo in Gaza has painted two white donkeys with stripes in order to replace two zebras that died of starvation earlier this year during the Israel-Hamas war.

Kol HaKavod on a clever idea.

The article concludes:

Gaza's Palestinians are impoverished by their isolation under an Israeli embargo against its Islamist Hamas rulers, who refuse to give up armed resistance against the Jewish state. [emphasis added]

Hmmm, looks like the Telegraph can't change its stripes either.

UPDATE: Israel Matzav has background on those zebras that 'died'--it may be necessary to add them to Tom Gross's list above.

Technorati Tag: Palestinians and Gaza.