‘Atara, Jaba (Lil), Qalandiya, Sun 27.5.12, Afternoon
Translating: Ruth Fleishman
Qalandiya:
A woman carrying bags in her right hand, a baby in her left and her two elder children before and behind her was taken out at the vehicles' checkpoint and sent to the pedestrians' checkpoint. She stumbled slowly towards the other side of the checkpoint- accepting the verdict 
submissively.
One of the many that aren't permitted to pass the checkpoint by vehicle, because their personal status doesn't comply with the rules of the checkpoint.
Jaba:
Eight people that were taken out of their cab stood by the side of the checkpoint and in front of them was a soldier with his rifle's barrel pointing at their bodies.
One would have thought there would be tension or fear between them and him, but neither tension nor fear were evident, and that was awful.
Because this routine in which daily an armed man in uniforms stands in front of a group of citizens, none of which are wanted or plotting any schemes, is indicative of a severe illness, that perhaps has already become chronic.
At the center of the checkpoint, inside the vehicle that had been emptied of passengers, a dog from the Oketz unit was being trained by its trainer. Once the exercise was over the IDs were handed back to their owners and they headed on.
Our presence on the other side of the checkpoint caused a commotion and raised concern among the two soldiers and the checkpoint commander, they crossed the road toward us and shouted: "You're not allowed to take photos… you're putting us at risk… this is a military zone… what, it doesn't make sense that this is putting us at risk?… We are here to protect you and your children… just a week ago I caught a terrorist here with weaponry…" when they understood that right at the moment we were witnessing them holding weaponry, we heard: "It's not the same!… how can you make that comparison?- they want to kill us and we don't kill them…".
Their fear of the camera was real and once it was presented the activity of the soldiers was stopped and the dog was place in a special cage. When we drove away we noticed that the dog and its trainer were back in action.
The scenario we presented before one of the two trainers that perhaps just as she hides a bait for the dog inside the Palestinians' cars as practice for the dog, the weaponry found in the Palestinian's car was no more the a bait intended as practice for the soldiers, so as to keep them alert- was received with scepticism.
Atara/ Bir Zeit:
"Watch out, there are alerts regarding an attacker… we're waiting that they notify us it's certain and then we'll spread open the checkpoint… that's why we are ready with the webbing equipment…"said the checkpoint commander who walking in front of his soldiers when coming to check who we were and then returned to the post.
We waited for a while. Perhaps the story was fiction, perhaps the attacker changed his mind, we waited by the pillbox for about half an hour- nothing happened.
However, policemen on the road heading down from the hill on
which the checkpoint stands did spread open a checkpoint, just before the junction connecting with road 60 they stopped Palestinian vehicles to check their papers and preform a physical inspection on the drivers (what were they looking for?). When we ask with puzzlement about this inspection they explained that it was a routine activity.
Perhaps, but we had never witnessed such a routine.
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'Atara
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'Atara Checkpoint
Situated at the northern entrance to Ramallah from Route 465, called also Bir Zeit Checkpoint. Nowadays only remains of what used to be a busy checkpoint remain, a pillbox and concrete blocks.
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Jaba' (Lil)
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Jaba' (Lil) In fact, the Jaba checkpoint is east of the Qalandiya checkpoint. Its declared purpose is the prevention of Israeli citizens from entering Area A. A road checkpoint for vehicles, located on Road 65, borders the southern fence of Kfar Jaba, about three kilometers east of the Qalandiya checkpoint, on the road leading to the settlement of Adam on Road 60. Archaeological excavations within the village found the remains of a cloth house from the First Temple period. The events that led to the construction of the checkpoint are precisely here: on the day of the abduction of Gilad Shalit and before the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War, a 17-year-old man from one of the settlements was abducted by a Palestinian cell. His body was found several days later at the entrances to Ramallah. A military investigation revealed that his abductors had taken him along this route. The checkpoint was set up to prevent future kidnappings and to warn settlers from traveling to Ramallah and entering Area A (which is forbidden for Israelis). The checkpoint that operates around the clock. Usually only vehicles traveling in the direction of Ramallah are inspected. (November 2016): Every morning, when the settlers en masse travel to Jerusalem on Route 60 and every afternoon they return from Jerusalem on Route 60, the army initiates a traffic jam at the entrance to the Jaba checkpoint and stops the movement of Palestinians traveling toward Route 60. (February 2020): In the last two years the checkpoint has not always been manned. Sometimes the soldiers come and just stand, sometimes they come and stop and check those who enter the village, sometimes they patrol the alleys of the village, sometimes they fire stun grenades and gas and sometimes they invade houses and stop young people, say those passing through the Hazma checkpoint. (Updated February 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 FleishmanJun-8-2025Qalandiya: Emptiness in public space
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