Qalandiya
A calm morning at Qalandiya.
05.15. The municipality’s large poster telling the citizens that ”we are making new for you” leans on its side, reclining on a neighbouring electric pole (and this is even before the wild winds of Friday night). Next to it, as usual, is a large group of men at prayer. At the entrance to the checkpoint, too, is a large group praying. When we reached the Palestinian side we were greeted by long lines stretching beyond the shed. The beigel seller was praying together with a group inside the shed. The lighting is still woefully insufficient, with many fluorescent lights missing. Soon after we arrived, the tea kiosk opened and suddenly , to our happy surprise, we could see the end of the queue.
As usual lately only 4 checking stations were working. The fifth opened at about 6. Individuals and groups, after praying, join the lines. The lines themselves were orderly and advanced at a reasonable pace. Women fitted in at the entrance to the cages. The soldier opened only 2 turnstiles instead of 3, for some unknown reason. After he was relieved, his replacement opened all three turnstiles. Women arriving at about 6 dithered whether to wait for the humanitarian gate to open, but meanwhile joined the regular line which was not long. A guard and the D.C.O. officer arrived only at 6.20, and even then, when they saw the situation, did not hurry to open the gate. The soldier told people to go to the regular line, but when he came out again from the aquarium and we asked him about this, he said they would open the gate right away, and so they did.
At about 6.35 the lines became very short and we joined one. It took us 20 minutes to pass through.
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 FleishmanApr-26-2026Qalandiya. Things you see on the way
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