Qalandiya - on contemp
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On Contempt
-Contempt for the lives and deaths of Palestinians is shown by the fact that the body of Mohammad Alian, murdered on Yom Kippur Eve at the gate of the Old City of Jerusalem has not yet been delivered to his family.
-Contempt for Palestinians’ bodies is shown by the Israeli army’s response to Palestinians who were present on the occasion when Israeli soldiers mistakenly entered a Palestinian refugee camp in their military vehicle.
The commander of their rescue force said: “The forces made extensive use of crowd dispersal means and their professionalism rescued the soldiers from the refugee camp” (thus the Israeli media).
I am not familiar with rescue procedures nor with the measures they took, but what I was told by a storekeeper on site was that dozens of Israeli soldiers invaded the place, ordered the Palestinians not to go outside the homes and shops, and he – wanting to shut his store and escape – was kicked by a soldier in the leg and abdomen, pushed inside, and a stun grenade was hurled into his shop, causing a client to lose consciousness.
The person who told me about this needed three days to recover from his traumas, both in mind and in body.
-Contempt for Palestinian property is shown by the destruction of businesses and confiscation of all of their contents.
Thus, the fruit shop of Abdallah Tamimi was destroyed after so many years of providing livelihood to his own family and his parents’ – destroyed as if it had never existed.
Like the business of Nafez, a snack bar contained in a truck, a place that operated and was bustling even during the Ramadan fast until it was stolen from its owner. It was the Israeli army from Beit El who did this, Nafez said.
Like the cab drivers’ shed on the southern side of the checkpoint that the Israeli policemen didn’t like, and once every few days or weeks some of them would come and throw away the improvised cardboard shed that protected its frequenters from the sun.
Why? Because no one had a permit. No permit for drivers, no permit for Nafez, and certainly no permit for Abdallah.
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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