14.35, Etzion DCL:  The place was completely empty apart from a man who came shortly after us for a ‘hospital’ permit.  The soldier at the window said it had been quiet all day.
As there has been a notice for the past few weeks to the effect that people from all areas may go to Jericho for magnetic cards, we wonder if this is the reason that there have been so few applicants in recent afternoons.  Or have the soldiers been unusually efficient in the morning?
As it was so quiet, we decided to have a little tour.  An unusual sight just as we were leaving was the arrival of a big garbage truck inscribed ‘UN’ and with a dedication “gift of the Japanese people.”
We drove south to Beit Ummar where we could see, from below, a large presence of soldiers.
We then drove to Har Gilo where we were overwhelmed by the scale of new building.