Hamas has hand in puppet tale

Bush-like doll killed on 'Exceptionals'

By ALI JAAFAR

George Bush might want to give the Gaza Strip a wide berth.

A show on Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV features a puppet likeness of the U.S. prez being stabbed dead by a child puppet.

In the clip, which aired on Al-Aqsa's "Exceptionals," the puppet-child, sword in hand, gives the president a dressing down over U.S. policy in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine and tells him the White House has been turned into a mosque. Bush pleads for his life but the child stabs him to death.

"You have denied all these children their fathers and mothers," it says. "That is why I have come to take revenge on you and all the traitors who have collaborated with you."

The skit follows last year's "Tomorrow's Pioneers," a kiddie skein on Al-Aqsa hosted by the character of Farfur, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Mickey Mouse. The show garnered widespread controversy for mixing firebrand sermonizing with reminders for kids to do their homework, before ending with Farfur being killed by an actor dressed as an Israeli soldier.

"Exceptionals" has proved equally unpalatable for some Palestinian auds, including Hamas officials.

"I'm against these types of shows personally," a Hamas official tells Variety. "It is not a real representation of Palestinian politics. I've spoken to people at the channel and told them that shows like this give us a distorted image in the West, but I guess there are some people who have an imagination or maybe even see hallucinations."