Al Jib (Givat Zeev), Qalandiya
Qalandiya CP lately seems to be very efficient. There are no long lines neither at 5am nor later (and this on a busy Sunday!).
We are at the Palestinian side of the CP. The square is relatively clean, the toilets open, all the turnstiles are operating and had been so from as early as 5am. All the lanes are also functioning. The military police representative has been here from as early as 5:30am!
The peaceful atmosphere encouraged us to go on to the Al-Jib CP (at the entrance to Pisgat Zeev, behind the gas-station). The last time we'd been there the situation was difficult and we (optimistically) hoped to find that the situation had been improved. We found a nearly empty CP. Whomever we spoke with told us that throughout the past week all was operating efficiently. Some of the passers-through thanked us for the improvement. Nice to hear.
A cup of coffee at the van and we're about to leave. The soldier inspecting our documents is somewhat puzzled about us and calls the border-policewoman in charge. She refuses to let us through and tells us to go back to Qalandiya – wherefrom we entered. We complained that going back meant we had to pass through Zone A – to no avail with the lady: 'you should have contacted the Matak with all your details' she says. We are detained within the check-booth with the soldier, maybe for the better as we taste the feeling of being confined. Half-an-hour goes by and the lady-soldier comes back with instructions to release us. The doors to freedom are opened…
Al-Jib CP Givat Zeev (Jerusalem)
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Al-Jib CP GivatZeev (Jerusalem)
It is located on the separation fence, west of the al-Jib enclave. The checkpoint is regularly manned by Border Police and private security companies. Palestinians are not allowed to cross except for residents of the al-Khalaila neighborhood of the village of al-Jib, residents of al-Jib who own land on the western side of the fence, residents of a-Nabi Samuel, which is their only access road to Ramallah and the villages in northwest Jerusalem, as well as Palestinians with work permits in the Givat Zeev settlement and UN workers passing through UN vehicles.
(Updated January 2020)
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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 FleishmanNov-30-2025Qalandiya: Puddles and dirt after the rain
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