Qalandiya - Second Ramadan Friday
That which was thought up and carried out in order to prevent crowds from arriving at the Friday prayers is in fact meant to thin them out.
The restriction instructions coming from above are meant to reduce as much as possible the number of West Bank inhabitants passing over to the Al Aqsa Compound on Ramadan Fridays and relate to Palestinians not as human beings but as weeds that need to be pulled out as much as possible.
The authorities spoke of freedom of worship, and applied strict selection criteria at the same time.
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Supported by his walker, the man stood embarrassed, helpless – and waited.
No one knew what he was waiting for – neither did he, perhaps.
His wish to observe the religious law of prayer on Ramadan Friday at Al Aqsa Mosque, and knowing that he was eligible age-wise, he overcame his physical hardships and arrived at Qalandiya, the main gate from here to there, from Palestine to Jerusalem.
At the first inspection post, when he presented his ID to the soldier, evidence of his advanced age, the inspector demanded a magnetic card and a permit to enter for prayer. Neither were in his possession.
His wonder, requests and pleas were no help. The man was not allowed to proceed.
Indeed, in spite of publications declaring that restriction is limited to the age factor, in actual fact the instruction handed down, demanding a magnetic card and permit to pray (from dawn until 5 p.m.) is still valid.
Many of the people coming did not know of these demands or did not know that with a simple pressure of their finger they could get such a permit on their smartphone application, so not only age thinned out the number of people entering – the added information raised the number of those refused entry.
The track through which anyone not answering such criteria was signaled by spreading new, shiny barbed wire spirals that surround a pile of junk and furniture parts.
Furthermore – those crossing the checkpoint in the morning must validate their return to the West Bank until 5 p.m. from where they exited it, and are therefore denied the possibility to stay for the evening prayer and/or the festive meal breaking the fast with their friends and family in East Jerusalem.
Inspection of those returning is done by the new installations at the entrance to Qalandiya Checkpoint.
When checkpoint closure time came close, a group of women refused entry – who did not know each other until that time – came together for a joint prayer and loudly, with rhythmic calls, sounded their prayer and cry to their god.
Lastly:
Things one sees on the way, or – the loneliness of those women sitting on the roadside.
Qalandiya Checkpoint / Atarot Pass (Jerusalem)
See all reports for this place-
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 FleishmanMay-13-2025Qalandiya: Back-to-back procedure for transferring patients
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