Qalandiya
A quiet morning. We arrived comparatively late, after 5.20. There was no pressure at the car lane. To our surprise there were no long lines at the pedestrian crossing even though only 3 posts wee open.
At about 5.35 the other two posts were opened and there was announcement after announcement over the loudspeaker. At the 4th post it was announced that only those with no bags or parcels could go through. It seems that the x-ray machine was not working. At 5.40 there were practically no lines on the other side of the cages and each time the turnstiles opened the only queues were in the posts. A soldier came and went and returned with a woman soldier, a guard and a cat. The cat rubbed itself against our legs and even once or twice dared to look into the aquarium of which the door had been left open. The guard held a key with a lead in the his hand. It was probably the key to the Humanitarian gate which remained desolate. There was no need for it today as there were no queues. The guard used this to amuse the cat. We saw that the doors of the toilets had been painted a brilliant blue but the toilets do not seem to be in use. Maybe soon.
6.10 No lines and the turnstiles remained open. We left comparatively early and saw the end of the sun raising over the cement blocks which surround the closed parking lot.
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 FleishmanJul-21-2026Qalandiya. Conversation in the shadow of the wall
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