Qalandiya
The access roads to Qalandiya CP from Jerusalem were all jammed up and long lines of vehicles were just standing in place. We decided to park on the Israeli side of the CP and walk from there, which turned out to be a smart move. When we got closer to the CP we saw that the huge gate in the southern square had been opened and cars were being directed into A-Ram. We asked the soldier on duty what was happening. He told us that the traffic situation north of the CP was so bad that they were diverting traffic to relieve the pressure. (It seemed to us that what they were doing was only increasing the traffic jam from the east, which is generally even worse than the one from Jerusalem, but the authorities hardly seem interested in really solving problems confronting Palestinians.)
When we arrived, two passageways in the CP were active and we found two men waiting in Passageway No. 5 to the DCO. They told us that they had been waiting for an hour already and that the soldiers would not allow them to enter. We went through Passageway 4 to alert the soldiers in the “aquarium” to the fact that they were waiting. But the soldiers explained that the x-ray machine was not working and that they could not allow people into the DCO offices without checking their parcels. As we were talking, another soldier appeared and quickly fixed what was wrong and the two men were allowed in.
Later, we met an elderly religious woman (who turned out to be 65) with her young son (about 30 years old) who was visiting from his home in the USA. The two wanted to go to Jerusalem to pray, but the woman’s permit was old and had expired. We contacted the DCO representative and put them on the phone with him. Once upon a time, many years ago now, the DCO representative could exercise his judgment and make exceptions that would allow a 65-year old woman to enter Jerusalem (the woman was now standing and crying silently from disappointment). But I guess those times are gone forever.
We left the CP at about 5 PM.
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-28-2026Qalandiya. The bridge leading from Jerusalem to the Qalandiya checkpoint
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