Qalandiya
5:00am: At the vehicle barrier the lines were building up – only a single lane was operating. At the pedestrian passage there were no lines at all and three booths were functioning. We noticed last week's policeman watching us from the "aquarium". At 5:10 he announced that two more booths (nos. 4 and 5) would be opened. The operation of the turnstile enabled the passage of all the people who were on line. People who got off the bus ran directly to the enclosures and passed through the open turnstile. Passage depended of course on the turnstile, when open – all passed through.
We went to watch the sunrise and take a cup of tea from the kiosk at the entrance. People seemed pleased that there were no lines. The loudspeaker directed those approaching to the less-crowded booths. Out of habit, those getting off the buses ran to the CP, and were pleased to see that there was no need to run. They expressed their satisfaction with smiles and gestures. One person told us that on the previous day the lines had reached the parking area.
Shortly after 6:00 the DCL officer arrived but he had nothing to do. There was no one seeking to use the Humanitarian line – all had passed easily through the regular line. We left at 6:10 and slowly proceeded to the vehicle-line. Three lanes were now functioning (in addition to the bus-lane) and there was the usual commotion at the circle.
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 FleishmanJul-21-2026Qalandiya. Conversation in the shadow of the wall
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