Qalandiya
"Look carefully around you and write about what you see.
My name is Dr. Murad. Psychologist."
So he said and kept walking.
D. Murad is right,
since at Qalandiya much is going on that you don't really see. At Qalandiyamuch is hidden from sight.
– There is the memory of the defenseless girl helplessly facing the armed men who attacked her, pushed her onto the ground, handcuffed her, pulled her away and made her disappear.
– There is the boy with the stone, and others like him, with his face covered to protect him against the gas and the cameras.
– There are those who confront him being armed and protected.
– And the tires burning in the fire of hate.
– And a cloud of gas and smoke from the tires covering everything and everybody. It is hard to breathe. Your throat is burning and your sight is blurred.
– And a group of young men fighting for the freedom of their people while endangering their personal freedom. They have leaned a ladder against the wall of apartheid. They reach the top and take control of the sniper post.
True, no soldiers were on the wall, but for them this act of defiance means victory. They feel encouraged and satisfied.
It's no small feat.
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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