Art Appreciation

Bethlehem residents have painted over a satirical mural by the graffiti artist Banksy that was meant to highlight their plight.
The elusive British artist had painted six images around the town to help drum up tourism before Christmas and to illustrate the hardships faced by Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
But the irony behind the depiction of an Israeli soldier checking a donkey's identity papers was lost on some residents, who found it offensive.
"We're humans here, not donkeys," said Nasri Canavati, a restaurateur. "This is insulting. I'm glad it was painted over."

Not all Bethlehem residents found the mural offensive. Fyras Twemeh, an architect, thought it was funny and made a neat political point. "It's offensive for the Israelis, not for us," he said. "It shows how much their minds are limited so they even check donkeys."

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