"A terrible stench - the smell of a rotting, dead animal," says left-wing activist Dr. David Nir in disgust. For over three years he has been participating in protests against the separation fence, but he wasn't prepared for this: Three weeks ago, at a demonstration in the West Bank village of Na'alin, he personally experienced the debut of Boash - the Skunk - a new method of dispersing demonstrations, developed by the Israel Police.

"We are very experienced, very familiar with the rubber bullets, the tear-gas grenades and the water hoses, but suddenly two Border Policemen arrived with strange packs on their backs and began to spray demonstrators with a liquid," says Nir. "It was terrible. Some people got completely drenched. Fortunately, I managed to stay out of range and did not get too much of it, but the smell stuck to me, too. It was absorbed into my skin. It was really unpleasant. I couldn't stand the stench; you deserve a gold medal for putting up with that smell.

"A week after the demonstration in Na'alin, a white truck arrived at a demonstration in Bil'in," Nir continues. "It began approaching and we tried to keep our distance." The truck stopped near the fence, "and then we heard the motor working harder in order to create condensed air for operating the Skunk cannon. And then it came: Strong bursts of a foul-smelling spray were showered on us, directly hitting those who didn't move away, at up to a 30- to 50-meter radius. Because the wind was with the cannon, most of us were enveloped in vapors of stench that penetrated our lungs. On the way to Tel Aviv we drove with open windows, but we were unable to get rid of the smell even when we sprayed ourselves with deodorant. There are no words to describe it; it's the worst odor imaginable. It's an experience equal to jumping headfirst into a sewer. The Palestinians simply call it 'shit.'"...

...Ben Harosh said he had an entirely different approach: "I created a liquid from only natural organic substances, which when combined produced the unique smell. I looked for a substance that came from 'green' agriculture, in particular. Along the way I smelled a large number of odors, and in the end I found a particular one and began to investigate it. I arrived at the lab that produces this substance and together we began to develop the basic ingredients of the Skunk. For two years we took apart the substance and in a process of trial and error, arrived at the new substance."...

...What is the liquid composed of?

"The formula is secret and unique, but I can say that the dominant components are yeast and protein."

A health drink?

"You can drink it, and you would definitely have a great protein drink. The only problem is that it has a very powerful stench."...