Qalandiya
An Orderly Morning
1. All stations were open at 5:00 a.m.
2. The lines to the pens proceeded quickly.
3. The policeman arrived at 5:45 a.m.
4. The officer of the command center that runs the checkpoint and the security guards arrive at the Humanitarian Gate at 6:15 a.m.
5. No long lines formed at the Humanitarian Gate opening.
Problems (Minor)
1. The soldier on morning duty (until 6:00 a.m.) in the “aquarium” (command center of the checkpoint) fell asleep many times and therefore lines (to pass through the pens) were stalled. It was impossible to wake her with our shouting. We asked those waiting to whistle or catcall to her. It worked.
2. Again a problem with a woman who arrived several hours before 8:00 a.m., the time given her to pass through the checkpoint. During a conversation with the command post and with the policeman on duty, it was explained that the reason the woman was given a permit only at 8:00 was to give preference to the workers who had to pass through earlier.
3. The checkpoint area is neglected and it is not pleasant to wait there – there is a large amount of garbage and pollution, the bathrooms are filthy and smell. The entire checkpoint is neglected and dirty, inside and out (even on the Israeli side).
Even after a day like today, that was all right, we return to our conclusion that the checkpoint cannot be put in the hands of and run by five different bodies, most of which are comprised of “volunteers” (soldiers). The checkpoint should be handed over to a governmental body or private hands with proper supervision that is more orderly like all places that offer service.
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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