Qalandiya - winter morning, cold and rainy. A few workers go to work.
Wintry morning; weather affects number of people passing.
05.15. Very cold, and raining. We had considered cancelling the watch, but came really only because Muhammad, the patient from the Jordan valley, phoned to say that he needed transport to Hadassah. Bundled in coats, scarves, gloves and caps, our umbrellas struggling against the wind, we made our way from the parking lot to the checkpoint.
As expected, on the Palestinian side there were hardly queues. In weather like this anyone who works outdoors stays at home. No beigel seller; the falafel stand was present, but closed unusually early. All through our watch the turnstiles at the end of the cages remained open. All five checking stations were open, with very short lines at each. Once or twice the turnstiles shut for a minute, but then were left open again.
It was freezing. When the rain stopped a while we went outside and saw that on a high building in the Qalandiya refugee camp there is a huge neon sign. The contrast between it and the surroundings – the wall and watchtower – is staggering …
At the entrance to the checkpoint there is a new kiosk. Muhammed , Iman’s brother, operates it. So now they have both this and the more elegant one next to their parking lot. We bought tea to warm up a bit, and returned to the shed.
At 6.45 Muhammad arrived and we joined him in the line. Passage was quick, taking fewer than 10 minutes. Returning to the car we once again battled the rain that had renewed .Muhammad had a cold and this was dangerous for him, as his immunity system has been damaged by his anti-cancer regime. We dropped him off at Hadassah with wishes for a speedy recovery.
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 FleishmanFeb-27-2026Qalandiya: On the way to prayer
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