Qalandiya - Slow checking leads to collapse of queues; one can take comfort in coffee and falafel!
05.15. The café on the Israel side is once again open and full. People coming out of the checkpoint tell us that conditions are good today.
When we arrived 5 checking stations were open, but queues extended beyond the shed. At this point speed seemed reasonable. Today, in addition to the beigel-seller there is a falafel stall. Later we photographed the man preparing the falafel. There is also a young man circulating with cups of coffee which are apparently prepared at a kiosk at the entrance to the refugee camp.
From a queue our friend H. calls to us. He tells us that on the Eid he did not work and his boss was angry and since then has not paid him. He clearly expects H. to arrive to work during Hol Ha-mo’ed, in spite of the closure…
At this stage checking is still proceeding at a reasonable pace, and the lines sometimes get short but then lengthen again. At 6.15 the humanitarian gate opens, but then checking seems to slow down and also fewer people are allowed through at each opening of the turnstiles. At times only 4 stations are open. People tell us that in a month’s time the new section of the checkpoint will open. We asked the D.C.O. soldier about this, and he said that this planned only towards the end of 2019!
Outside we saw that the entrance from the road in the direction of the new roundabout[?] at the entrance to the checkpoint is blocked by two yellow booms, with road spikes in one direction. Beyond these booms, stood a jeep with some soldiers or border police. There did not seem to be any particular problem. People passed them without paying attention and no one was detained by them.
As we returned to the shed we photographed the lines stretching out of the shed.
Then suddenly we heard a noise from inside, signaling the collapse of the lines. In a second the lines outside vanished, while inside the usual sight met us of piles of people crushed at the entrance to the cages and the benches full of those trying to avoid being hurt.
This time it took 40 minutes before order was restored. Meanwhile we sat on a bench and bought coffee from the young man who agreed to be photographed.
Towards 8 o’clock, the guard and D.C.O. soldier left into the shed and from there outside. We went to see if something untoward had happened, but all was quiet. They walked to the end of the new building, and climbed the pile of rubble where other soldiers were standing (apparently those of the jeep). Afterwards only the guard returned, but the humanitarian gate was not opened again.
At about 8.30 we joined the lines that had finally got reasonably short. At this time there are also the older people who can pass at 8 o’clock without permits. It took 30 minutes to pass. Also, the journey into town was slow because of the late hour and because the summer holidays are over.
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 FleishmanApr-12-2026Qalandiya. Abdallah at his fruit stand
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