ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This report is based on a two-week fact finding mission to the West Bank in November 2000, and a three-week fact finding mission to the West Bank and Gaza in February 2001, conducted by Clarisa Bencomo, Researcher in the Middle East and North Africa division, and Peter Bouckaert, Senior Researcher for Emergencies. The report was written by Peter Bouckaert and edited by Clarisa Bencomo; Hanny Megally, Executive Director of the Middle East and North Africa division; Joe Stork, Washington Director in the Middle East and North Africa division; Malcolm Smart, Program Director; Wilder Tayler, Legal and Policy Director; and Kenneth Roth, Executive Director. Tobie Barton of the Middle East and North Africa division of Human Rights Watch prepared the report for publication.

Human Rights Watch thanks the many individuals and organizations which assisted in the collection of information for this report, in particular Addameer, Al-Haq, B'Tselem, the Christian Peacemaking Team in Hebron, the Hebron branch of the Land Defense Committee, LAW, Peace Now, and David Wilder, representative of the Jewish community in Hebron, as well as many who preferred not to be named. A special thanks to Zelikha M., our interpreter, whose tireless dedication to our work was essential to the success of our mission.