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Qalandiya
Observers: Virginia S., Ina P. (reporting) Judith Green(trans.)
The difficult situation at the Qalandiya checkpoint
This morning, from 5:00-7:30, and the whole recent period at the Qalandiya checkpoint can be summarized in a few sentences.
The checkpoint system is not able to deal with the number of people who arrive there at the peak hours of the morning (5:00-7:30). This is quite obvious to everyone, including the policeman assigned there whose crude behavior only aggravates the bad situation. During the recent period, he also controls the Humanitarian Gate personally, instead of allowing the DCO soldiers to do their work quietly and calmly.
The result is,according to our follow-up of people who were randomly chosen when they joined the end of the line, deep inside the parking lot, tracking them until they went into to inspection sleeve, the wait in line was 40-45 minutes. And one must remember that this is a daily occurrence.
Concerning the reason that they crowd more and more people particularly into the Qalandiya checkpoint, and don't direct the movement by turning people toward other checkpoints in the area, one could present various arguments. However, they say that this is the result of the policy of totally controlling the Palestinian population; others say that it is simply a lack of organization within the system. The truth is that, for the people who need to stand for 40 minutes in line before they begin their day's' work, it really doesn't make any difference.
Since this situation is so obvious to the naked eye, and we can assume that it is known to the responsible authorities at the checkpoint, who only allow the situation to deteriorate further and further, we have no other recourse than to bring this picture to a much greater public, in the hope that the authorities will act out of shame. It is important to once again bring the press, in order to photograph the checkpoint and interview those waiting, to try to get together the foreign consuls in Jerusalem, to help the various human rights organizations – B'tzelem, Ir Amim, ACRI – to once again shine the spotlight on the Qalandiya checkpoint, because these organizations, plus persistence, are the only tools we have. If anyone has another suggestions, we would be happy to hear it.
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 FleishmanFeb-27-2026Qalandiya: On the way to prayer
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