Palestinians: Israel stole our snake

Israel chose the Palestine Viper as it’s national snake, sparking cries of ‘cultural expropriation’ from the Palestinian Authority. 

By Jack Gold, World Israel News

Israel’s Society for the Protection of Nature and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority on Thursday declared the snake known as the “Palestine Viper” as Israel’s national snake, igniting Palestinian ire.

The Daboia palaestinae, a viper species endemic to part of the Middle East and the largest poisonous snake in Israel, received 3,679 votes online to win the coveted title of Israel’s national snake, and by doing so joined the Hoopoe which was elected as Israel’s national bird, and the Anemone which was announced as its national flower.

Of the nine venomous snakes in Israel, it is the most prominent and most common in the populated areas of the country, but not the most poisonous.

The Israeli popular online vote angered the Palestinian Authority (PA), which declared the event a “theft” of “Palestinian heritage,” Israel National News reported Tuesday.

Imad al-Atrash, the Executive Director of the Palestine Wildlife Society, denounced the Israeli vote, saying that the struggle over the snake’s national identity was part of the larger battle by the PA to preserve “Palestinian identity.”

Al-Atrash called on other organizations around the world to join the Palestinian struggle to recognize the snake as the “Palestine viper,” rather than as the “Land of Israel viper.”

The Palestinians often accuse Israel of stealing their heritage, especially when it comes to history, national identity and archaeology.