Qalandiya
09:00 Hooray! The parking lot is open. And isn’t crowded. A sign not many are crossing. In fact, when we came into the open area (which is extremely filthy) a few people passed us who’d come quickly through the revolving gate.
Two new, painted doors on the eastern wall, behind which are supposedly bathrooms promising on-site relief but…the doors are still locked. Because it’s Friday? Perhaps it’s only a promise.
The drivers at the entrance explained that during the past two weeks few entry permits for Friday prayers in Jerusalem have been issued on the West Bank. Perhaps because of the holidays, perhaps for reasons known only to the master.
An elderly woman was sent back from the inspection booth. She told us she has a hospital opthalmic appointment but didn’t notice her permit expired yesterday, and they’re not allowing her to cross. We telephoned the DCL. She talked on our phone to someone who spoke Arabic who told her to go to a particular window where they can help her. And so it was.
She kissed us.
A group of representatives of Danish labor unions arrived at the checkpoint and asked us to explain what we do here. They went through. We also left.
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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