I could not have completed this study without the support of a number of individuals and institutions. I gratefully acknowledge the financial support of a Research and Writing Grant from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, given through the Friends of the Institute for Palestine Studies, as well as a Rashkind Endowment grant and a Walter Williams Craigie Teaching Endowment grant, both from Randolph-Macon College. Financial assistance was also forthcoming from the Institute for Palestine Studies, the Friends of the Institute for Palestine Studies, and James Abdo. I am particularly grateful to the Institute for Palestine Studies for permission to view its copy of the United Nations’ collection of data on Palestinian property, just as I extend special thanks to the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine for permission to examine the virtually untouched material in its archives. Thanks also go to Rex Brynen’s FOFOGNET Internet network for keeping me current on refugee issues.
Thanks go to a number of individuals who helped along the way through their hard work, assistance, guidance, and hospitality. These include Walid Khalidi, Philip Mattar, Linda Butler, Eric Hooglund, Paul Perry, Marilla Guptil, Eric Scott Kincaid, Yoram Mayorek, Kamil Nasrawi, Adnan Abdelrazek, Issam Nashashibi, Carreen Lawrence, Nicholas Benne, Timothy Nolan, and Donna Geisler. A special thanks to Geremy Forman for his research and translation assistance, his careful reading of parts of the text, his comments and valuable suggestions, and his friendship. As always, my grateful thanks go to my wife Lisa and my ever-patient family, who have suffered through the years of worry and inconvenience I have put them through.
Michael R. Fischbach
February 2003