A circus comes to Gaza – minus lions and ladies

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – 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.

No women performers were included in the Egyptian National Circus for fear of offending conservative Palestinians and the Gaza Strip’s militant Hamas rulers, and the circus’ lone lion and tiger were left behind because of the high cost of transporting them legally into Gaza.