קלנדיה
A crowded day at Qalandiya
05.15. Now that the vacation period is over, we parked again on the Israeli side. Next to the parking lot is a café with many tables inside and out, already crowded at this early hour – a sign that so far passage through the checkpoint is still quick. And indeed we found all five checkpoints open, as was the turnstile nearest the aquarium. The soldier soon opened the other two turnstiles, so everyone could enter immediately although fairly long lines then formed at the checking stations themselves. Only at about 6 a.m., as soldiers changed duty, did they begin to close the turnstiles, reducing the lines at the checking stations. This in turn caused the lines in the shed to stretch right out of the shed.
Towards 6 a.m. people started to gather at the Humanitarian gate. Soon afterwards the D.C.O. officer arrived with a policeman, followed by two guards. The officer opened the gate for those ‘entitled’ to pass, every time a group formed, sending the others to the regular queues.
The lines were long, but advanced at a ‘reasonable’ rate. We met two young men from “Blue-White Human Rights”, whom we haven’t seen for a long time at Qalandiya. One of them told us that they now go more frequently to Bethlehem. The kiosk didn’t open today, and the beigel-seller did not know why.
At 6.30 the lines became shorter and were within the shed. At 6.45, when the lines were all within the wire passages, we joined a line. People there told us that all the week had been hard. Today was crowded, but relatively reasonable. While we were waiting we saw that the D.C.O. officer left, as there was no longer need to open the humanitarian gate. We passed in less than 15 minutes.
Next week will be Eid al-Adha, so we will not be going to Qalandiya.
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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