Qalandiya
At 9:20 the line of waiting people was long but moved forward quickly. Four internal entrances were open and most people entered without delay. People arrived in large groups which had to wait 15 minutes before entering. At about 10 o'clock the line was empty.
We met a Swedish volunteer from The Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). The members of this organization come to Israel to spend three months as observers and to report to their countries and to the UN about the territories. She told us that her impression is that the Palestinians have lost their fighting spirit and hope.
We noticed a woman who was caught in the turnstile which had closed all of a sudden. A young man standing next to her calmed her down telling her that she would be able to pass through in a few minutes. He spoke fluent Hebrew and told us that he has been employed by a manpower company in Israel for many years.
An elderly woman turned to us asking for our help. She is 67 years old and had come to Nablus especially for this purpose. She has a valid permit which is given to her every six months. The soldiers took her permit and refused to give it back. Ofra Tene called the DCO (District Coordination Office) and introduced herself: I'm Ofra Tene from Mchsomwatch ("machsom" in Hebrew means barrier, checkpoint) and is now at the Qalandiya checkpoint." "How can you be at two checkpoints?" the soldier wondered…When Ofra told him about the woman's problem, pointing out that she had come especially from Nablus, the soldier said that he could do nothing and that she would have to inquire again on Sunday. "But you're supposed to help civilians, that's your task"' Ofra insisted, but the soldier answered, "I'm a soldier and I stick to the rules so I can't do anything more".
We tried to talk to the female soldier at the check post. In the beginning she said that if the permit had been taken from her there must be a reason. Then she agreed to check but only if I stopped writing. The computer showed that the woman's permit had expired in April. When we explained this to the woman it appeared that she had evidently brought her old permit. We thanked the female soldier for having agreed to bend the rules.
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-27-2025Qalandiya: A beggar woman
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