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Qalandiya, Sun 28.7.13, Morning
Observers: Meira, Rony P.(reporting)
A very special day for protecting human rights at Qalandiya!
There were we, Meira and I and 4 Blue&White human rights activists and we were very sorry that EAPPI people were missing. In addition, there was an officer from Civil Administration taking video of the lines at the checkpoint and the police force reinforced more than usual with their coffee and cigarrets celebrating Ramadan.
However, when it came to the people whose human rights we are all protecting it was a more depressing picture. For whatever reason the patient quiet people, (no smoking today) at the caroussels who at 5am formed 3 lines that extended to the middle of the parking lot lost their cool when the 3rd of the caroussels did not open and at irregular intervals very few of the people were let into the checking area. We called the Army humanitarian dept. and the civil administration headquarters and the Qalandiya police headquarters telling them that the pressure is too much for the people to stay on calm and composed and were told off for bothering them. A kind of usual pandemonium broke out with people pushing and climbing on top of the caroussels. All the older people promptly left the line for fear of beeing squashed. Fortunately today there was a young man who with the help of another older man managed to bring some order and quietness.
To think that it is Ramadan and that this is the way to get to work, when the same checkpoint is dealing with 70 000 or more people going to prayers and much thought is put into the task.. The conclusion is that whatever is done a checkpoint is always presenting an invasion into people's sense of freedom of movement
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 FleishmanApr-26-2026Qalandiya. Things you see on the way
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