Qalandiya - At the vehicle checkpoint, a huge traffic jam
A Quiet Morning (Which Appears to be the New Norm)
When we arrived at 6:15 we immediately noticed construction activity by the exit from the pedestrian checkpoint (more on this at the end). Other than that, there is little to report. We spent an hour at the entrance to the new checkpoint and watched as a steady stream of people passed us on their way in. But we never saw a build-up of people inside the “slalom” that winds into the building , leading us to understand that everything continued to flow inside, as well. A number of people wished us “Good morning,” or waved at us from further afar, but no one approached us to talk or ask for help. We, too, passed through the checkpoint quickly (notwithstanding the need to provide a medical explanation for why the metal detector beeped when one of us passed through it).
On our way back to our cars, we were stopped by a young man who had talked to us the last time we were at Qalandiya. He explained the signs of construction we saw by saying that he worked on the crew building a pedestrian bridge to carry people over Road 60 – the main north-south road here, going south from Kafr Aqeb to Beit Hanina and the Old City – to the new bus and taxi parking lot west of the road.
With regard to that same road, which passes through Qalandiya’s vehicle checkpoint, the same man again raised the issue of the huge traffic jam caused (at least in part) by the checkpoint. He explained that he lives a quarter of an hour by foot from the checkpoint but when he manages to get a lift with a car in his neighborhood, it takes three times that long to reach and pass through it. We can see that there is extensive road work on the western approach to the checkpoint (i.e. from the direction of Road 443/50), but we have not been able to figure out where this upgraded road is meant to lead and how – as long as soldiers stop each car to check the identity cards of the passengers going through the vehicle checkpoint – the morning rush-hour traffic jam will not be eliminated or even eased. An explanation from the powers, which we can share with troubled people on site, would be most appreciated.
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 FleishmanJun-28-2026Qalandiya. The bridge leading from Jerusalem to the Qalandiya checkpoint
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