Qalandiya, Mon 21.11.11, Afternoon
14:45: Despite the cold and the threatening clouds, the peddlers in the northern square were out in full strength. It seems that the smaller the number of people using the pedestrian CP at Qalandiya, the larger the number of peddlers (both adults and children) selling their wares in the northern square, mostly to passengers of cars stuck in the interminable traffic jam.
In the northern shed, only a few people were sitting in almost total darkness thanks to the shortness of daylight hours and the fact that our forces do not replace the light bulbs that burn out in the ceiling fixtures meant to cast a little light on the surroundings.
Inside the CP three passageways were operating with a line of less than 10 people in each. We asked someone emerging from the DCO offices and he replied that there was no one left inside. We returned to the northern CP entrance from where we could see that the western CP for bus passengers was very full. Later on we met some people who, fed up with waiting on line in that terminal, had come to try their luck in the old CP. They reported that the line in the bus terminal was very long.
A bus was parked in the old CP parking lot. It had returned to Qalandiya the families who had been visiting Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. On their arrival the northern shed filled with village women wearing long black dresses decorated with colorful embroidery and accompanied by crowds of children.
We hadn't noticed, but suddenly discovered that one of the passageways had been closed, leaving only two active. As 5 o'clock approached, a larger number of people began to arrive at the CP. Suddenly we heard the soldiers in passageway 4 announce that it was closing down. We phoned headquarters who assured us that the soldiers were just changing shifts and the passageway would reopen at 5 PM. In the end, the passageway remained open and the soldiers continued their shift.
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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