Qalandiya, Sun 11.3.12, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
05:30
The laborers are crowded at the congested entrance. A long line at the humanitarian gate (even though everyone knows it doesn’t open before 06:30). Despairing laborers sat on the benches, saying they were afraid to join the crush so they waited outside the line.
The female soldier opened the revolving gate every few minutes, admitted 2-3 laborers and immediately shut it, so almost no line formed in the fenced corridor. She was busy in the phone the rest of the time and didn’t react to our request to increase the number of people she let in; she just ignored us.
We telephoned the DCO, asking them to see to it that more people be let through the revolving gate each time and explained again that, psychologically, they’re less stressed when they wait on the line inside. The congestion on the line outside is caused by tremendous anger that everything moves so slowly. We were heard very politely, but nothing changed. The female soldier continued her phone calls, occasionally remembering to briefly open the revolving gates.
06:15
The officer arrived; the humanitarian gate opened. We should note that the officer behaved very humanely, letting through men who were younger than the minimum age for crossing there, as well as acceding to our requests to let through people unwilling to push their way through the regular lines, afraid of injuring their back or their legs.
We left at 07:15, when the lines had become less disorganized (because the replacement opened the revolving gates as he should, and passage through the fenced corridors also improved a little).
The laborers told us that the British consul, accompanied by a number of people, came by one day when it happened that people crossed quickly and there was hardly a line. I wonder why.
I should note that the situation recently has been very bad, and it’s like this every Sunday. This report reflects what every Sunday morning is like. Nothing has changed – it’s so discouraging!!!
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 FleishmanFeb-27-2026Qalandiya: On the way to prayer
-