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Al Jib (Givat Zeev), Qalandiya, Sun 13.11.11, Afternoon

Observers: Aya Kaniuk and Tamar Fleishman (reporting)
Nov-13-2011
| Afternoon

It would seem that the residents of El-Jib village don't hold a good impression of their neighbors from across the fence.

Qalandiya:

Tens of people huddled up in front of each of the three active inspection lanes are an unexpectable sight for such an hour. After observing this for a couple of minutes it became clear that the reason was the inactivity of the soldiers in the posts. The Palestinians as usual accepted it. They stood silently and waited. From their many years of experience they learned that complaints, yelling and defiance won't speed the process nor will they make things easier for them.  

On the northern side of the checkpoint, where thousands pass each day, a market of merchandize and various types of food is sprouting and flourishing. You may find telephones, books for children, sweets, hot and cold drinks and even feed on a Kebab enwrapped in Pita bread.  
No one knows how long this commercial "prosperity" will last. Since over here, in the no man's land between the refugee camp and the checkpoint, reality is fragile, inspectors from the municipality with the help of police officers and soldiers might (as has happened numerous times in the past) appear at the site at any hour of every day and destroy the stands, confiscate merchandise and scales, and fine the owners. This is because the dry law states this place to be under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Jerusalem, and none of the peddlers neither has nor indeed will ever be able to obtain a business license.

Taxi drivers continue to speak of the morning routine at Jaba checkpoint, the unnecessary delays and meticulous inspections which lead to tickets. Anything to delay their mergence at road 60- the main road leading to Jerusalem. The stories are the same, only the passion with which they are told differs. Reality and the need to survive turned the Palestinians into some sort of sponge. But even a sponge has a limited ability to absorb, and one cannot predict what might happen when it all becomes too much.

El-Jib
"It all depends on the soldier", said Yunis the owner of the canteen and added that Thursday was a tough day, and that because of a specific soldier who performed the inspections had caused difficulties, the last of the workers passed only at nine o'clock, a time when some return to their homes: "because their working day is ruined".

A shepherd was leading his sheep between the olives trees behind the walls of the checkpoint with the help of a dog who made sure the sheep kept to their places. "It's a Jewish dog", said the shepherd with pride. The young men that were present apologetically explained that the shepherd didn't take the dog away from anyone, but had received it from someone who lived in New Givon when it was very small, that he didn't do it take it without permission, that he took care of the dog and fed it, that the dog was his…
The phrasing of the explanation made it clear that they were worried that the two Jewish women might take the dog away from its owner. And when Aya presented herself before the shepherd and asked what his name was, he was puzzled and asked: "do you know I'm an Arab?"
It would seem that the residents of El-Jib village don't hold a good impression of their neighbors from across the fence.

  • 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)

       

  • 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)  
      קלנדיה. עבדאללה ליד דוכן הפירות שלו
      Tamar Fleishman
      Apr-12-2026
      Qalandiya. Abdallah at his fruit stand
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