Qalandiya and Bitunia
Since I realized the Israeli army was holding incursions and arrests in Bituniya, I intended to enter from the checkpoint near Ofer. But not, order is order, and order must be maintained…
I was told: This is only for goods. I am goods, I answered, trying to soften them, but it didn’t work. I had to make a U-turn and go back. Then I noticed the sign at the entrance to the Ofer military prison, and as an old fan of army slogans, I was attracted to the wording: “Operational Power”.
At Qalandiya were two vehicles waiting for a long time for the ill patients – children, women and men – from Gaza, released this morning from hospitals, to be allowed to exit their long incarcerated wait at the checkpoint, load their belongings and themselves on the transport vehicles, pay the driver and leave for home, the Gaza Strip…
What they, or I, did not know was that this is the last day they have 8 hours of electricity at home, as – by order of the Israeli Prime Minister – beginning tomorrow the electric current will be halved and now stands at 4 hours of electrical power a day.
Another happening worth mentioning at the checkpoint was my meeting with Shadi, the cab driver whose car had been sequestered.
Shadi who has not yet found alternative work and is supported economically by his relatives came to meet friends and tell in detail about the day he was caught, and that besides the court session that awaits him, he must pay about 1000 shekels for the forced holding of his vehicle by the authorities plus 700 shekels for the tow-truck.
Inside the checkpoint, between here and there, stuck, are Suha and her three adult offspring who arrived two days ago from New Jersey. Once more American tourists of Palestinian descent who did not prepare their entry visas into Israel ahead of time are forced to waste their time and energy running after the bureaucracy, a time that was meant to be spent meeting relatives in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Finally, I keep hearing words uttered by a shopkeeper in the Qalandiya refugee camp: It’s the same situation with you and with us. Bibi sends your children to die, not his own, and Abu Mazen sends our children to die, not his own…
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 FleishmanOct-11-2026Qalandiya. Female Beggar
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