Bee Replaces Martyr Mouse on Hamas TV

Hamas TV's most Youtubed program has made a casting change that already has bloggers buzzing: A children's show introduced a giant bee named Nahoul to replace Mickey Mouse knockoff Farfour, a cuddly militant who was martyred last month by an Israeli spy. In a spooky falsetto, Nahoul announced himself as Farfour's cousin on Tomorrow's Pioneers.

The warlike wasp vowed to continue Farfour's work, threatening to "take revenge upon the enemies of Allah, the killers of the prophets and of the innocent children." The show, and Hamas' Al-Aqsa station in general, has come under fire for encouraging militancy among young Palestinians. (More Hamas stories.)