Israelis noting the larger-than-usual presence of Palestinians in Jerusalem during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan were not wrong in their assessment. According to Israeli officials, in what was intended to be a confidence-building gesture, more than one million Palestinians were allowed entry into Israel. One Israeli official called the easing of restrictions “unprecedented.” Of note was the fact that those permitted to cross were allowed to travel around Israel and were not limited to prayers on Harem Al-Sharif, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Many traveled to the Mediterranean coast to enjoy the beaches, some for the first time. Other gestures were in the economic arena, including a new protocol for Israel to collect tariffs on behalf of the Palestinian Authority and an attempt by Israel to broker a loan from the International Monetary Fund for the cash-strapped PA.