Back to reports search page
15:30 Qalandiya
16:45 Bir Nabala
Donate
Atarot, Bir Nabala, Qalandiya, Tue 23.10.07, Afternoon
Observers: Brenda H., Roni H. (reporting)
Sparse traffic on the roads and at the checkpoints, as if people have decided to stay at home today.
15:15 Atarot Checkpoint
random checking of cars by two borderpolicemen. Traffic is flowing.
15:30 Qalandiya
almost empty. Only Palestinians with blue IDs or entry permits cross here. We decided to visit the Post Office.The turnstiles are locked, no answer to our ringing the bell and no soldier far and wide. We call Kobi who answers in his usual friendly way. The Post Office is closed, but he will ask his commander if we can come in. At 16:00 the commander calls us. He is very sorry to tell us that the Post Office is closed, but he does not have the authority to keep it open. It would be interesting to know how many hours this Post Office is actually open. But if one takes into consideration that it serves only Jerusalem residents or persons with an entry permit, one can "understand' that it does not have a very big clientele!
At the car crossing six cars in the queue, but they were checked thoroughly. We observe that the employees of Modiin Ezrahi work in pairs with the soldiers, never alone. We are waiting for the results of the team that has been created at the Mazkirut meeting to research the privatisation of the checkpoints.
16:45 Bir Nabala
we were greeted by a very polite commander who answered all our question. All in all three cars were in the row. No separation (bidul) today.
17:30 Crossing Qalandiya to Jerusalem took us 10 minutes
'Atarot
See all reports for this place-
Atarot
Atarot was a workers' settlement destroyed during the War of Independence, where the Arab village of Qalandiya now stands, in the southwestern part of Atarot Airport, built by the British Mandate. After 1967, the Atarot industrial zone was established nearby, and until the completion of the wall from the Qalandiya checkpoint to Road 443, a checkpoint was in place. A new Jewish neighborhood is currently planned for the old airport area.
-
Qalandiya Checkpoint / Atarot Pass (Jerusalem)
See all reports for this place-
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
-
Rafat (Bir Nabala)
See all reports for this place-
Rafat (Bir Nabala) With the completion of the Bir Nabala enclave, which includes also Al Jib, Al Judeira and Beit Hanina al Balad, a checkpoint was put at enclave exit. The passage into the enclave is allowed only to the enclave inhabitants and to Ramallah District people.
-