Qalandiya, Mon 2.11.09, Morning

תאריך: 02/11/2009 ,בוקר

צופות: Judy O., Maya B. (reporting)

Qalandiya

three kilometers south of Ramallah, in the heart of Palestinian population. Integrates into "Jerusalem Envelope" as part of Wall that separates between northern suburbs that were annexed to Jerusalem in 1967: Kafr Aqab, Semiramis and Qalandiya, and the villages of Ar-Ram and Bir Nabala, also north of Jerusalem, and the city itself. Some residents of Kafr Aqab, Semiramis and Qalandiya have Jerusalem ID cards.

A terminal operated by Israel Police has functioned since early 2006. As of August 2006, northbound pedestrians are not checked. Southbound Palestinians must carry Jerusalem IDs; holders of Palestinian Authority IDs cannot pass without special permits. Vehicular traffic from Ramallah to other West Bank areas runs to the north of Qalandiya.

Click here to watch a video from Qalandiya checkpoint.

סגור תיאור

Qalandiya
6:15 we arrive at Qalandiya, park in the Palestinian parking lot and already hear the noise of a big crowd inside the terminal. As we enter we see , again after a very long time, young boys trying to climb over peoples heads to jump the line. A lot of pushing, shouting and long line entering through two channels. We check to see what happend , all the booth are open and the time it takes is no different. The humaniterian line works every 10 minues, Tomer, the DCO officer is there and trys to help. When we ask him for the reason of the commotion, he explains that the CP only opened at 5 and not at 3 am and this created the back log of two hours. After about half an hour order was restored, the Shabab had gone in and the rest of the men prefered a quiet and peaceful passage. All the pupils and women with or without children went in through the Humaniterian gate and by 7:45 all had gone in.

It seems that unless the CP opens at 3 am the place is much too small for the thousends of people who go through daily, a fact we have known for a long time and seen so vividly in Neta's film.