Qalandiya and Beit Hanina: Report and Interview
Once more, closure inside a closure.
Once more, the Israeli army locked the gate limiting the checkpoint compound area.
Once more, in order to get to the refugee camp and from it, people are required to take a bypass track that adds hundreds of meters to their journey.
Once more, robust young men cross the old/new obstacle, climb fences and leap to the other side.
Everyone we met, grownup and boys alike, spoke excitedly of the elections taking place in Israel today, as they send their “blessings” to Ben Gvir and Netanyahu (in that order), hoping that the past they are now missing – in spite of its evil nature – would come back at present.
Most of them agreed to speak with the journalist and tell him about the reality of their lives, while some of them refused of have their picture taken in case it gets publicized and authorities would harass them for it.
From Qalandiya we drove in the pouring rain to Beit Hanina which was in the midst of a power cut, and where in light of emergency lighting we sat for an in-depth interview that lasted about an hour.
Our talk centered on reality in Israel, in the West Bank and in Gaza, on millions of people who live without any rights, no future nor horizons, on genocide, on the lack of transit permits, on hunger in Gaza and the West Bank, on the need of sons and daughters to go out to junctions and hound the passers-by for a few shekels to feed their families, on solidarity and the importance of encounters and inter-personal contact.
I was asked personal questions about my past and processes that created my present journey.
Before taking leave, the interviewer asked me: Do you have a message for my Korean readers?
Yes, I answered, pressure Israel.
Before closing the day, when the polls were heard, all I can say is that I am sick of this people.
Today (Thursday) I received the translation of the story that was publicized in Korea.
Location Description
Jerusalem
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The places in East Jerusalem which are visited routinely by MachsomWatch women are Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah. During the month of Ramadan, also the Old City and its environs are monitored.
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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 FleishmanOct-27-2026Qalandiya. Closure – Climbing over the fence
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