Qalandiya
We arrived at 07:00 and found a very long line. Everyone was standing still and not moving. As time went by, the line only lengthened and, along with it, also the irritability of the crowd increased, who had become used to “the days of Salvation” when they could go through in minutes. Only after about half an hour did the gates open and there was some very swift action. From a conversation with the person responsible for the area we found out that a suspicious object had been identified – I did not clarify its description. Because of a misunderstanding, I met with the group later than had been planned. Our discussion was focused on what was going on behind the scenes at the checkpoint – the real checkpoint, the regimen of the permits. Because of the delay in starting the discussion, there wasn’t enough time for many questions. There was a new immigrant in the group who had served in the offices of the coordination authority in the West Bank (DCO). He was the only one who spoke and said that he “felt” during his service the very things that we know, and that he was happy to get confirmation of that.
The area around the checkpoint on the Palestinian side was clean and even the toilets were more or less acceptable. At the DCO there was a long line, but I couldn’t find out anything .
The vehicle checkpoint was faster than what I had expected – maybe because it was already relatively late in the morning.
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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