Ar-Ram, Qalandiya, Thu 15.5.08, Morning
Anata
6:35-7am Busy but smooth. Police presence
attributed by them to ongoing training. Lanes moved quickly and coordination
among soldiers and private contractors appeared to be good. Since it was quiet,
we moved on to A-Ram which had a very long line of cars waiting to go through
the checkpoint. Only one lane was open. Quiet but a very long wait for the cars
lined up.
Qalandiya
7:20-9:15Most upsetting situation here. The
front turnstiles were opened for only a few seconds at a time and the crowds
were angry, frustrated and upset, understandably. As one Palestinian waiting to
go through commented to us, they were being “played with and treated like
animals.” Several younger men attempted, to no avail, to climb over the
guards. Women’s line eventually opened but moved more slowly than
usual. One Palestinian wondered aloud to us why if he has a valid pass,
must he be subjected to these daily humiliations. After we contacted Matak, the
ladies line moved more quickly and passage was given to a child in a wheelchair
escorted by what appeared to be the mother. On a few occasions, Mili attempted
to get the attention of either the police or the private guards but was
consistently ignored. We finally found out that only males over the age of 25
were allowed through and then only if they could prove that they were going only
to Anata. When we asked one of the guards why the situation at the
exterior turnstiles was so arbitrary and the openings so brief (literally a few
seconds at a time with intervals of many minutes) we were told that it was“Our matter which I cannot reveal to
you!” The situation was absurd and the anger was apparent amongst the
crowd waiting for passage. Eventually, around 8:45 they closed the women’s
lane completely, announcing that Matak would open at 9am..The interior
turnstiles were all open (5) but seemed to be extremely slow today. One
woman with an infant was escorted by me to the front of the line of men and the
guard agreed to open it briefly for her. I motioned to about 8 other women
in line to go through and the guard permitted this though the crowd appeared to
be agitated by this. One man spoke to Mili about the situation of his
16 yeasr old son whom he claimed had run away last nite and was placed in
the Neve Yaakov Police Station. After Mili made several calls, he was told that
indeed his son was locked up in the Russian Compound. The man checked his ID
which had the name and number of his son. He passed this information on and was
told that the police would contact him.
Before Hizma and at Hizma there was
a very long line and wait. What is usually a 5 minutes trip took nearly 20
minutes.
A-Ram
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two kilometers south of Qalandiya and 300 metres north of Neve Yaacov Junction, in Dahiyat el-Barid Quarter. Checkpoint has operated since 1991, in a Palestinian area annexed to Jerusalem in 1967. The checkpoint has been inactive since the middle of 2009.
The wall was built on the road that led to Jerusalem. Since then the situation in the town has deteriorated. Houses are abandoned and half finished, most of the businesses have closed. Severe neglect around the fence and on the streets. Those who could left. Updated January 2024
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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 FleishmanApr-16-2025Qalandiya: summer fruit
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