Qalandiya
We arrived at 5.15 to find to my surprise that the only lines were in the shed itself and moving at a decent pace. It was only about 6 pm that more men started to arrive. Someone explained that those who work in building would not come out on such a rainy day.
We went outside as Bruce who is a photographer wanted to see Qalandiya itself. I pointed out to them the parking lot where nothing has been done for months and also the circle which once used to be there and which is now a pile of rubble. The traffic was horrendous especially with the mud and water and the enormous trucks coming through and every now and again someone would try to direct the cars which were causing the traffic jam. Bruce took many photos which I will send on when I receive them.
When we walked back into the checkpoint at about 6.15 there were suddenly many more men and the line reached out half way into what would have been the parking lot. But there were no problems and also by the time we got there the humanitarian gate was open. Ahuva got into a conversation with a soldier who showed discretion in allowing two people to take through an elderly lady who could hardly walk although it seemed to take a while for those accompanying her to convinced him to do so.
Another elderly couple with their daughter were told to wait until eight. The daughter had a permit but did not want to go through on her own. They were going to visit her husband in hospital and as by about 7.20 the line had slackened off the soldier told them to go through.
It is good as we always say to see Qalandiya through the eyes of someone who has never been there. I said it was a good day, explaining that no day there is ever good but that this was a quiet day with people going through the lines peacefully. Ahuva said that she was horrified and that she was glad that she was not seen incidents such as I had described to her which had happened on the bad days. She said it was enough of a shock. But that she would come back again and absorb it slowly.
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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