Qalandiya
05:15 We arrived at the Qalandiya
Many buses were leaving with Palestinians to their places of work
It had been a long time since we were last at Qalandiya. We were impressed by the quietness and despair of the people. Many hundreds of people arrived in waves.
05:45 Another big wave of people arrived and thus at 06:15 the queue became very long and reached the parking lot.
The journalist who accompanied us visited Qalandiya for the first time, he took many photographs and wanted to know whether what we are doing does indeed help and has an influence, and why we are there. We said that out shifts have no influence and don’t bring about any change but that it was our obligation to be present, to bring to the attention of the Israeli public the existence of the checkpoints, to watch the plight and the humiliation of the Palestinians and to bear witness to what is done in our – we the Israeli citizens – name.
We gave him some of our information material and films. He said that he despaired of this place and that in his opinion help won’t come from outside. Only the Israelis are able to save themselves from themselves but he doesn’t know how and when this is going to happen.
After seven we crossed the checkpoint back to Jerusalem.
Near the square there were people sitting and they told the journalist that they were working at Abu Gosh as plumbers.
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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