People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has sent a letter to the Palestinian leader to protest at last month's blast near Jerusalem.

No humans were killed when the donkey was strapped with explosives and detonated, but the attack narrowly missed an Israeli bus carrying soldiers.

"We have received many calls and letters from people shocked at the bombing," Peta president Ingrid Newkirk wrote.

"If you have the opportunity, will you please add to your burdens my request that you appeal to all those who listen to you to leave the animals out of this conflict?"

Ms Newkirk says she has not asked Mr Arafat to try to stop suicide bombings that kill people.

"It's not my business to inject myself into human wars," she told the Washington Post.

She adopted a polite tone in the letter because the group always try to "ask nicely" the first time, a Peta spokesman says.

A spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Washington said: "When you have a regime that has no respect for human life, can you really expect them to respect animal life?"