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Qalandiya

Jan-08-2017
| Afternoon

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Every Sunday, early evening, the women – such as the one in the photo – return from family visits in prison. Women with or without children, with or without babies, and sometimes women with a few boys and even fewer men. Every Sunday, week after week, month after month, year after year. Women.
This week’s women are not the same as those of last week’s. There are quotas and criteria for who and how many are entitled to visit.
Ahmad said that the four women have been on the road since 4 o’clock already.
He said that because it was so difficult, he was only visited once or twice a year while he was in jail. Ahmad was caught in Tel Aviv, sentenced in Lod to 16 years in prison. Criminal court.
He said that with him in jail were Israelis and Russians and Arabs and Ethiopeans. Arabs from the West Bank and Arabs from inside Israel/
One month ago, Ahmad was released, 37 years old

And even if the prison law stilpulates that

“it is an accepted principle that the actual arrest or incarceration of a person while curbing his freedom of movement, are not grounds for limiting his other human rights, except for those denied him by explicit instruction of the law.”

This is valid for citizens and residents of the State of Israel. Those who have no rights – have no rights. No time off for good behavior, no leave during the years of incarceration, nor do they enjoy the sponsorship of the Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Authority.

Ahmad who has left jail without a penny to his name has no father except for his own personal dad to teach him about life and tell right from wrong.

In order to survive, Ahmad sells some dates and tangerines at his stand, trying to save some money, wanting to get married.

 

 

 

  • Qalandiya Checkpoint / Atarot Pass (Jerusalem)

    See all reports for this place
    • 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)  
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