Qalandiya and Hizma - the incursion of violent armed men into shops
One photo of many showing – second by second – the incursion of violent armed men into one shop out of many
I write without separating the two sites – Qalandiya and Hizme – their story is the same, same melody, same incursion, same robbery in broad daylight.
This was performed without any advance warning, as if that were unnecessary when one party is dominant, violent, and the other – helpless.
Armed forces invaded small as well as large businesses, robbed wares made in Palestine because “You are not allowed to sell what Abu Mazen produces”. Bundles of cash were taken out of cash registers and drawers, body searches were conducted on sellers, and if there was any money found in pockets – it was taken.
Most of the robbed wares were packs of cigarettes produced in the West Bank that for the weakened local population is a lifeline, and for the grocers and vendors – a livelihood.
Hundreds of packs of cigarettes were brought down from shop shelves and taken away.
Thousands of shekels were robbed in cash from their owners.
In Hizme the armed men did not make do with cigarettes and cash – they stole clothes from one store as well.
And no, they did not leave the victims any kind of document to prove that he had been robbed.
Moreover: windshields of vehicles parked in front of the Qalandiya refugee camp had 250 shekel fine tickets attached to them, and stalls planted in the muddy ground on the roadside were fined at 1,200 shekel each – for “This is Jerusalem here”.
- But even if history and maps are re-written, Qalandiya refugee camp and Hizme village are not a part of the Jerusalem jurisdiction area).
Before leaving the invaders promised to return to the same places and to others for the same purpose.
What remained on the ground was a myriad bruises, fresh and unadulterated.
Hizma
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Hizma
A checkpoint at the north-eastern entrance to the Jerusalem area which was annexed in 1967, at Pisgat Zeev. The passage is allowed to bearers of blue IDs only. Open 24 hours a day.
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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 FleishmanJun-8-2025Qalandiya: Emptiness in public space
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