Jaba (Lil), Qalandiya, Tue 4.9.12, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
06:00 Jaba
Both sides of the checkpoint are empty, deserted booths and no soldiers.
It’s never too late to mention the repeated declarations that the purpose of the checkpoint is to prevent Israelis from driving to Ramallah. But the two soldiers and the rope were stationed there before a reason was found to do so (the brilliant excuse was invented after a resident of Jerusalem with a GPS was directed by the device straight to Ramallah and saved thanks to some brave Palestinians who dragged him to the Qalandiya vehicle checkpoint despite the prohibition against crossing the checkpoint on foot).
The checkpoint was erected by chance. And then no one knew how or why it had been erected, so they also didn’t know whether to dismantle it.
Afterwards everything continued as usual, according to regulations, according to the law –
Whoever erected it in the past has moved on to another job, and then to still another, and today he’s the deputy Chief of Staff, or the Chairman of a government company (Electricity? Water? The Jerusalem light rail? Highway 6?).
The soldiers were forgotten there with the rope so booths were planted to protect them from the sun and the rain. Later a tower was erected to guard the booths, because when there’s a certain number of soldiers and booths a tower is required. They were then given something to do, to inspect cars so the Palestinians will stay anxious; the surface of the road was grooved in both directions and a parking bay was paved. At the same time a general order was issued defining the location to be a closed military area, but it was then forgotten, and later dogs were trained there, and what’s next depends only on someone’s imagination. And suddenly everything disappeared, the soldiers apparently having been sent to Susia. But they’ll be back, since it would be a shame to forget about the booths.
It was another very congested day at Qalandiya itself, administered efficiently and stubbornly by the police commander. He doesn’t rest a minute, checks every line, hastens the inspections. It turns out that if you really care it’s possible to handle correctly even the huge number of people crossing here. And if you continually keep track of what’s happening at the gates, and what the soldiers conducting inspections are doing, the laborers and the pupils and the elderly and the mothers will reach their destinations in a reasonable amount of time, without humiliation, trouble or anger. All you need is the awareness that we’re dealing with the neighbors, children and mothers of us all.
Masses of people continue flowing to Qalandiya until 8 in the morning, but this time they see lines moving quickly and a humanitarian gate that’s always open.
On the way back to Jerusalem we went through the vehicle checkpoint, as usual, and today’s inspection (of all the cars) was very rapid.
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 FleishmanFeb-27-2026Qalandiya: On the way to prayer
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