A mysteriously quiet morning at Qalandiya.
05.15. On arrival we were surprised by the quiet atmosphere. Although there was a constant light stream of people arriving, they could all move swiftly through the one turnstile that was left open.
The falafel stall was open. The coffee kiosk was closed – we found that the owner’s father had died. As it was so quiet we could chat with the beigel seller, Abu Ramzi. We wondered if the quiet was the result of the recent violence in the village near Ramallah, but he had not even heard of the incident. (“I don’t listen to news.”) And, indeed, there was no sense of tension among the people we saw going in. They mostly were just relieved to have such an easy morning and greeted us warmly.[Having the chance to chat, we learned that the elderly beigel-seller, who daily pushes his heavy wagon load to and from the checkpoint, does so to support the three small grandchildren he and his wife are bringing up. Their father, his son, died in his early thirties.]
A guard arrived at 5.50. Soon after 6 o’clock a D.C.O. officer arrived. A few people went through the humanitarian gate, but then he left at 6.40 and the gate was locked. Our main task was to explain to the few women who arrived that it was closed.
By the time the soldier in the cubicle was replaced at 6 o’clock, there was enough traffic to justify opening a second turnstile – but this, too, was left open.
The exciting news was that the new extension wing was lit up with electric lights, and there is a large “Welcome to Qalandiya” notice, in addition to one giving opening hours of the various offices. When will the festive opening be?
At 7 o’clock we left and passed quickly through the checking process. We were called back, though. “Girls!” called the more senior woman soldier, flattering us by not saying “Grannies.” She wanted to know if we had signed the special permit(?) allowing us to be on the Palestinian side. She must have been new at the job! But she did so very pleasantly . One only needs
such permission, of course, when going into Area A.
Altogether it was a strangely quiet for Sunday which is usually full of workers beginning their working week.
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 FleishmanApr-26-2026Qalandiya. Things you see on the way
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