Qalandiya, Fri 19.4.13, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
We reached the checkpoint at 09:00; it was fairly empty. A few people arrived every few minutes and crossed quickly. Only one outer gate was open. After about ten minutes a line, not very long, had formed there. A man who’d come through the checkpoint said that two weeks ago only people going to pray had received crossing permits; no work permits were given.
The place was dirty, as usual. In the background we could hear loud announcements over the loudspeakers, jarring and difficult to understand. At 09:15 about 25 people had crowded at the entrance. We tried asking the female soldier seated in the booth why they didn’t open an additional entrance but didn’t receive an answer. We telephoned the DCO and asked them to open an additional lane. We were told they’d take care of it. A few minutes later an additional lane opened.
At 09:30 a line of about 25 people had again formed at the entrance but they went through quickly.
Itamar decided to try going through from the revolving gates to the inspection station – despite passing quickly through the surprisingly narrow passageway of the forward revolving gate he was stuck within for half an hour before getting past the inspection, describing the way things were run as “unfocused.” Marina crossed after him a little more quickly.
The newcomers who accompanied us reminded us how evil and surreal it all is. We, the “veterans,” arrived and “happily” exclaimed, “Wow, great – it’s not crowded today…” As if this was a site visit by organizational consultants satisfied at the efficient operation of the checkpoint… The others, still fresh, were shocked.
When we went through the vehicle checkpoint on the way back the female soldier didn’t ask this time, “Are you Jewish?” Miracles happen.
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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