Bethlehem

06:30, Tantur: A double fence, which
the labourers say will extend all the way to Rachel's tomb. About
40 pedestrians trying to pass, no vehicle queue. 07:30, Etzion:
Traffic to Al-Khadr is by buses. Passengers alight at Etzion for ID
check, and some are turned back. The officer says not all buses are
checked, it depends on how heavy traffic is. Between Hebron and
Bethlehem, both directions, passage is with permit only. 08:30
Al-Khadr. No soldiers, but apparently there were some in the
morning. A soccer stadium, built with Portugese money, is soon to
open there. We got a tour from the local soccer manager. The first
game will be Palestine-Portugal. There was a sense of optimism in
the air. We encountered a group of Al-Khadr kids in summer camp.
Their T-shirts say, in Arabic, "No to the Apartheid
Wall".