Qalandiya
3:40 PM – We reached Qalandiya early today and found the CP almost empty with 3 active passageways and no one waiting in line. The only line was in the DCO passageway where all 6 people complained to us that the soldiers were not opening the gate. The problem seems to be that the soldiers sitting in the “aquarium” situated between two passageways serve both those crossing to Jerusalem on one side and those trying to reach the DCO offices on the other. There are always 2 soldiers in the room so it’s not clear why one can’t deal with the Jerusalem line and the other with the DCO. (In our experience, when 2 soldiers are sitting together side by side only one of them actually works while the other gives advice or demonstrates his boredom. For instance, today when we were returning to the Palestinian side of the CP from a visit to the Jerusalem side at 4:40 PM, we passed through the northbound passageway behind the backs of 2 soldiers sitting in Passageway 1. The male soldier was dealing with the people entering Jerusalem while the female soldier was reclining in her armchair, apparently either bored or tired. It wasn’t very nice to see.)
Back to the DCO, I went through the passageway to Jerusalem and told the soldiers on duty that a crowd of people were waiting to enter the DCO offices. The soldiers were very polite and told me that they had to receive instructions from the DCO before allowing clients to enter. But they immediately phoned the DCO and received instructions to allow the people in, solving the problem.
Towards the end of our shift, we were sitting in the northern shed when an elderly Palestinian gentlemen came over and thanked us profusely for coming to the CP and taking an interest in conditions in Palestine.
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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