Qalandiya. Jungle in the Villa – On Locked Gates and Dreams of Tomatoes
Those who must cross the bridge connecting here – the Greater Jerusalem – and there – Qalandiya heading to the West Bank – must walk a long way of several hundred meters, winding and potholed, up- and downhill.
A long time goes by from the moment a person steps at the bridge entrance until they arrive at their destination on the other side.
True, there is an electric gate saving one this ongoing torture, sparing one the up-and-down walk leading straight to the Jerusalem area, but it is always locked and the opening card is in the hands of the checkpoint operators only, so that anyone needing to take the shorter way that is “as the crow flies” but actually longer, has no other choice but to take the longer, more exhausting way on seething hot days or stormy freezing zones, and unlike other places in the world, there is no lift for disabled or elderly persons, and for mothers pushing prams.
An acquaintance whose home is in the town of Sa’ir, in the Hebron district, said “the worst is Hebron” and told me he specializes in vegetable growing. For years – until October 7, 2023 – he was employed by a nursery in Israel and was making a decent livelihood. Till now, he is in contact with the owner of the nursery who calls him from time to time, begging him to return, “But how? They won’t let us through, won’t let us work, won’t let us make a living”.
The man dreams of the tomatoes he could bring his children. Dreams about them. But he has not the funds to purchase tomatoes and they remain a mere dream.
Unfortunately, he parts with his family and has moved to live and work near the Qalandiya checkpoint, a meeting point of many. Here he works as a hired hand, a sort of taxi driver on a stranger’s vehicle. Even here, because of the ongoing closure that takes its time, the passers-by do not have enough money to use his services and continues to dream of the tomatoes he would bring his children who have remained in Sa’ir.
Years ago, when Ehud Baraq referred to the State of Israel, he used the expression “a villa in the jungle”. The present situation has reversed the expression, for Israel has become “a jungle in the villa”.
Location Description
Qalandiya Checkpoint / Atarot Pass (Jerusalem)
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Click here to watch a video from Qalandiya checkpoint up to mid 2019 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. In February 2019, the new facility of the checkpoint was inaugurated aiming to make it like a "border crossing". The bars and barbed wire fences were replaced with walls of perforated metal panels. The check is now performed at multiple stations for face recognition and the transfer of an e-card. The rate of passage has improved and its density has generally decreased, but lack of manpower and malfunctions cause periods of stress. The development and paving of the roads has not yet been completed, the traffic of cars and pedestrians is dangerous, and t the entire vicinity of the checkpoint is filthy. In 2020 a huge pedestrian bridge was built over the vehicle crossing with severe mobility restrictions (steep stairs, long and winding route). The pedestrian access from public transport to the checkpoint from the north (Ramallah direction) is unclear, and there have been cases of people, especially people with disabilities, who accidentally reached the vehicle crossing and were shot by the soldiers at the checkpoint. In the summer of 2021, work began on a new, sunken entrance road from Qalandiya that will lead directly to Road 443 towards Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. At the same time, the runways of the old Atarot airport were demolished and infrastructure was prepared for a large bus terminal. (updated October 2021)Tamar FleishmanJun-28-2026Qalandiya. The bridge leading from Jerusalem to the Qalandiya checkpoint
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