Qalandiya
Qalandiya
05.15. We parked in the parking-lot which was quite full. In the square and along the road there were long lines waiting for the vehicle checkpoint. Inside the 5 checking stations were open and there was a short queue in the sleeve closest to the ‘aquarium.’ Gradually a second line formed, both queues extending beyond the sleeves. The soldier opened only one turnstile and so those waiting in the second line started shouting. The soldier heard them and opened their turnstile. Then, when a third queue formed, he continued opening only two turnstiles and paid no heed to the shouts of those waiting in the third sleeve. These gave up and joined the other queues.
At about 5.30 there was a changing of the guard. We spoke to the soldier just arriving and asked him to open the third turnstile. The soldier finishing his stint explained that he had heard the shouts but felt it was sufficient to open only two turnstiles. He had allowed through many people, which caused long lines in front of the checking stations (which was true). Nevertheless, the new soldier from now on opened all three turnstiles. Many people suddenly arrived and quickly three long queues formed, stretching right out of the shed into the parking lot. Fortunately, actual checking was quick today.
Soon after 6 o’clock the D.C.O. officer arrived. He greeted us and checked to see if anyone was waiting at the Humanitarian Gate. He said he was delayed because they had changed the key and he didn’t have the correct one. He said he would see to the duplication of the key for D.C.O. staff during the day. We commented on his being alone, without police or a guard. He said he manages well alone, as he did. Until 2 guards and a policewoman arrived, he kept an eye on what was happening, told the soldier when to open the turnstiles, and opened the Humanitarian Gate every time a few people arrived there.
The lines were long, but speed was reasonable. At one point a woman arrived with a child in a stroller. The officer arranged for the gate next to the turnstile after the Humanitarian gate, to be opened, and one of the guards accompanied her to a checking station where he arranged for the gate there to be opened so that she could avoid the turnstile.
Only at 7.30 did the lines finally get shorter.
We returned to Jerusalem via A-Ram. There the checkpoint is manned and cars are directed to the bumpy route on its right. Soldiers are busy checking a Palestinian car at the side, and other cars – both Israeli and Palestinian – pass without checking. We passed quickly through Hizme checkpoint, thanks to light traffic.
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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