Qalandiya
Just Right
All five checking stations were open when we arrived at the checkpoint at 5:25, and there were no lines at all, since the turnstile at the end of one of the cages was open to all comers. The “Aquarium” appeared empty – which struck us quite strange – but the absence of a soldier controlling the turnstiles in no way impaired the functioning of the checkpoint. The pace of advance through the checking stations was excellent, so that there was no need to regulate the passage through the cages.
At 5:40 a policeman arrived, failed to enter the Aquarium (which was locked from the inside), searched for the soldier within (who was sleeping, lying down), woke him, entered, and soon enough closed the open turnstile. But this, too, was for only a brief period, and the relatively swift flow continued through the next hour, so that lines hardly had a chance to form beyond the cages themselves.
The Humanitarian Gate was not opened at all, since the newcomers, who saw that the lines through the cages were so short, preferred to take that route. A Civil Administration soldier arrived at 6:05, followed by a policewoman and a security guard, but they were essentially unemployed.
We asked the bagel seller at the entrance to the shed, and one of our acquaintances what the situation had been on the previous two days, and they both said that it was similar to this morning.
At 6:30, when the cages were empty, we passed through the one with an open turnstile, soon entered the checking station, and exited the checkpoint at 6:38. On our way back to our cars (in the southern parking lot, on the “Israeli side” of the checkpoint), we were stopped by a smiling young man who said that this morning was excellent, and everyone was pleased, but we shouldn’t think that every morning is like this. “Inshallah,” we replied, “that every morning should be this way.”
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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