'Anata-Shu'afat, Al Jib (Givat Zeev), Qalandiya
09:00 Jib – Never before have we seen such a long line. We try to cross to the other side, but two soldiers stop us and ask: “Who are you?” Of course, they won’t let us pass. On our way back we meet some Palestinian men who smile at us. They stop to talk to us about the situation as if somehow accepting it, even though they can’t see the purpose of it (and neither can we) and walk on.
09:30 Qalandiya – There seems to be no space left in the parking but our guest spots an empty place. People on their way to pray are waiting in a long line near the entrance. We go to check the line at the humanitarian gate. We ask the border policeman, Akram, if it is like this every Friday. He answers: “I’ve been here for 5 years and I’ve never seen a line like this.”He explains that there is no DCO on Fridays, and that’s why the humanitarian gate isn’t working. Not an answer, really. Meanwhile one of the people waiting asks us about the closed gate. Every week he accompanies his 90 year old grandmother to the prayers. He finds a chair and she sits down to wait for the line to become shorter. “Every week it’s like this”, he says. We wonder how a 90- year old woman can cross at the checkpoint even if the line is shorter.
11:00 Shuafat refugee camp – Ronny, who is our guide today, explains about the place. All the 100.000 people living in the densely populated camp hold blue ID cards. We know from television reports that houses are being constructed without permits, that crime rates are high and that drug abuse is common, but once again we are faced with the harsh reality which is caused by the barriers.
Ronny takes us to an elementary school bordering on an endless garbage dump. Not far from the school there is a place where drugs are sold. “This is how the children grow up”, she says.
Meanwhile, we need a toilet. The chilly weather also affects us. Ronny leads us to “Kupat Holim Clalit” while explaining that quite a large number of the patients at the clinic suffer from gunfire wounds. The clinic is closed. We continue to “Kupat Holim Meuhedet”, maybe we’ll be lucky. This clinic is also closed just like the UNWRA building further on. We reach a building in memory of the shaheeds (we don’t try to enter). A driving teacher speaking fluent Hebrew offers us his help and leads us to a big surprise, a huge gym, and what a gym. R., the owner cordially tells us that they saved money from their construction work all over Israel to build this wonderful building with the purpose of preventing crime and drug abuse. 300 people have already subscribed at the price of 150 NIS. For young people weaned off drugs entrance is free. Our host tells us that crime and drug abuse have decreased and adds that for the last few months the police have been answering calls from the residents and arriving at the scenes of events.
At the exit, we get on a bus and our host asks the driver to take us to the checkpoint. When we arrive a female and a male soldier enter to perform the checking. The puzzled female soldier looks at us with wide open eyes. “I heard Hebrew and didn’t understand who is on the bus.” Having come to herself she asks for ID cards. The male soldier follows her with his weapon drawn, of course.
Our guest, Dov, is quite upset and has trouble finding words for what he has seen during the day. He will need some time to absorb his impressions. Meanwhile, he insists on inviting us to a meal, “at a Palestinian restaurant”, he says.
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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Checkpoint Shu'afat camp / Anata-Shu'afat (Jerusalem)
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The Shu’afat checkpoint is located in the northern part of East Jerusalem at the exit from the village of Anata and the Shu’afat refugee camp, which are located in the area annexed to Jerusalem in 1967. The refugee camp borders the Shu’afat neighborhood to the west, Pisgat Ze’ev to the north, the French Hill neighborhood to the south and the planned expansion of Ma’aleh Adumim to E-1 in the east. It was established in 1966 for 1948 refugees from the West Bank and was populated after the Six Day War by persons who had been expelled from the Jewish Quarter. Today its population comprises some 25,000 people holding blue ID cards and some 15,000 people with Palestinian ID cards. The camp lacks adequate infrastructure and services, and suffers from poverty, neglect and overcrowding. All its buildings are connected to the public electricity and water infrastructure, but not all are connected to the sewer system. The camp’s services are provided by UNRWA, except for those such as health clinics and transportation of pupils to schools in Jerusalem. In 2005, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected a suit by the residents requesting that the route of the separation fence be drawn such that the camp would remain on the Israeli side, but conditioned its approval of the route on the establishment of a convenient and rapid crossing facility for the inhabitants of the neighborhood, most of whom are residents of Jerusalem.
A temporary checkpoint operated there until December, 2011. It was extremely congested during rush hours, and dangerous for pedestrians (especially children) because of inadequate safety provisions. The new checkpoint was inaugurated south of the old one, for public and private transportation and for pedestrians, intended solely for the residents of the camp – holders of blue ID cards, and those with Palestinian ID cards who possess appropriate permits. There are five vehicle inspection stations at the checkpoint, and two for pedestrians (one of which is currently closed) where scanners have been installed but are not yet operating. According to the army, representatives of government agencies will also be present to provide services to residents of the neighbourhood. The pedestrian lanes are very long, located far from the small parking lots, and accessible through only a single revolving gate.
Ronny PerlmanDec-10-2025Anata Checkpoint: Neglect
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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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