Qalandiya - second Friday of Ramadan
Qalandiya – Second Friday of Ramadan
The same thing but more. Much more.
-A lot more people
-A lot more ‘security’ forces
-A lot more Palestinian policemen
-A lot more inspections + double checking both men and women
-And a lot more heat
This was the best show in town
So good a show that even the Central Command General came to watch along with his Palestinian colleague.
The thing that spoiled perfection and harmony just a bit was the will of the Palestinian Authority to send buses and take part in busing people to prayers in Jerusalem.
Israel’s firm opposition to this broke this initiative and order was not disturbed.
They are very content, said a policeman in charge of keeping order at the checkpoint point of departure.
No doubt “they are very content”, for these “they” the policeman was referring to were those who passed the test of age, the crowding and the double checking of IDs as well as the lengthy waiting in line under the searing sun, the unveiling of women so that the woman-soldier would verify her identity, but all these do not matter – what matters is their degree of contentment.
On the right: very content women.
Would a Palestinian dare to give any other answer, all these hardships already behind him/her, than “very content” when asked by a uniformed policeman as to his/her contentment?
Note, only, that this policeman and others would not ask those who did not pass the test and were ruled by the sovereign not to reach the place for which they had longed when leaving home before dawn. They would not be asked if they were content.
Wondering why the women’s lines were so crowded, unlike last week, I was answered that ‘hot’ warnings were received regarding two women.
I have no idea whether ‘hot’ referred to the warning or the women. I am only quoting the answer verbatim.
On the right: very content men.
וכי יעז פלסטיני שכל אותן תלאות מאחוריו להשיב משהו אחר מלבד “מאד מרוצה” לשוטר במדים ששואל אותו אם הוא מרוצה?
רק שהשוטר הזה והאחרים לא ישאלו את מי שכשלו במבחן ונגזר עליהם מתוקף גזירות השלטון לא להגיע למקום שהוא משאת נפשם ושאליו יצאו בשעת טרם שחר מביתם, אותם לא ישאלו אם מרוצים הם.
על התהייה למה תורי הנשים דחוסים כל כך בשונה מהשבוע הקודם, נעניתי ש:יש התראה על שתי נשים חמות.
אין לי מושג מי חמה, ההתראה חמה או הנשים, אני רק מצטטת את התשובה כלשונה.
Qalandiya Checkpoint / Atarot Pass (Jerusalem)
See all reports for this place-
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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