A circus comes to Gaza - minus lions and ladies
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Palestinians watch Mr Rifat al-Gureisy, 55, a member of the Egyptian National Circus, perform in Gaza City, on Friday, Oct 26, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
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In this photo taken on Thursday, Oct 25, 2012, members of the Egyptian National Circus set up a cycle in Gaza City. -- PHOTO: AP
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In this photo taken on Thursday, Oct 25, 2012, Mr Rifat al-Gureisy, 55, a member of the Egyptian National Circus blows fire during a practice in Gaza City. -- PHOTO: AP
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In this photo taken on Thursday, Oct 25, 2012, Mr Mohammed Nassar, 33, left, and Mr Adel Aly, 47, members of the Egyptian National Circus practice in Gaza City. -- PHOTO: AP
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In this photo taken on Thursday, Oct 25, 2012, Mr Mohammed Nassar, 33, right, a member of the Egyptian National Circus practices in Gaza City. The circus came to Gaza on Friday, accompanied by blaring music, juggling clowns and fire blowers - but getting it there required its own high-wire act. -- PHOTO: AP
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Mr Adel Aly, 47, a member of the Egyptian National Circus, walks on the rope in front of the audience inside a circus tent in Gaza City, on Friday, Oct 26, 2012. The circus came to Gaza on Friday, but getting it there required its own high-wire act. -- PHOTO: AP
Palestinians watch Mr Rifat al-Gureisy, 55, a member of the Egyptian National Circus, perform in Gaza City, on Friday, Oct 26, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP
In this photo taken on Thursday, Oct 25, 2012, members of the Egyptian National Circus set up a cycle in Gaza City. -- PHOTO: AP
In this photo taken on Thursday, Oct 25, 2012, Mr Rifat al-Gureisy, 55, a member of the Egyptian National Circus blows fire during a practice in Gaza City. -- PHOTO: AP
In this photo taken on Thursday, Oct 25, 2012, Mr Mohammed Nassar, 33, left, and Mr Adel Aly, 47, members of the Egyptian National Circus practice in Gaza City. -- PHOTO: AP
In this photo taken on Thursday, Oct 25, 2012, Mr Mohammed Nassar, 33, right, a member of the Egyptian National Circus practices in Gaza City. The circus came to Gaza on Friday, accompanied by blaring music, juggling clowns and fire blowers - but getting it there required its own high-wire act. -- PHOTO: AP
Mr Adel Aly, 47, a member of the Egyptian National Circus, walks on the rope in front of the audience inside a circus tent in Gaza City, on Friday, Oct 26, 2012. The circus came to Gaza on Friday, but getting it there required its own high-wire act. -- PHOTO: AP
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - The circus came to Gaza on Friday, but getting it there required its own high-wire act.
No women performers were included for fear of offending conservative Palestinians and their Hamas rulers and the high-cost of legal transport prevented animals from taking part.
The Egyptian National Circus put on the first show of its month-long visit to the impoverished coastal strip on Friday, a sign of warmer relations between Hamas and post-revolution Egypt, which is governed by the Islamic militant group's ideological parent, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Although not state-sponsored, the Egyptian circus could only come because their government loosened restrictions on the flow of passengers in and out of Gaza. More foreigners now enter Gaza, including the ruler of the resource-rich Gulf state Qatar earlier this week.
