Dolls of Osama bin Laden (L) and Saddam Hussein are displayed at the Israeli border customs in the port of Haifa on Wednesday.  [Reuters]

Israeli customs agents seized 400 Osama bin Laden dolls and 50 more Saddam Hussein dolls Wednesday, saying they were inciteful material, the customs authority said in a release.

An Arab Israeli had ordered the singing and dancing dolls that carry toy guns as a "gimmick" for sale to Arabs and Jews in Israel, he told the agents when he was questioned.

Customs agents discovered the dolls during a routine check of cargo at the port of Haifa, in northern Israel, the customs authority said.

The ship carrying the toys from China also contained 450 Teletubby dolls, which agents are examining to see if they are counterfeit, the release said.

While Palestinians have held some demonstrations in support of Osama bin Laden, there have been no mass displays of affection for the accused terror mastermind.

Most Israelis abhor Saddam Hussein as an enemy who fired missiles at the Jewish state during the 1991 Gulf War. Popular sentiment in the Palestinian areas is largely in favor of the deposed Iraqi leader, especially for his support of the Palestinian cause.

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