"The toy gun looked too realistic and was consequently considered threatening by some critics, " said Kotkin.

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She thought the gun was a toy, she said.

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Stories of seven-year-olds suspended for biting a pastry into the shape of a gun, first graders sent home for talking about toy guns, or kindergarteners suspended for bringing a toy gun to school or just discussing shooting a bubble squirt gun at another child are depressingly commonplace.

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Mr Arafat, for his part, pointed to three Palestinian deaths in the 24 hours after his speech, one a 12-year-old boy holding a toy gun.

ECONOMIST: Israel and the Palestinians