Qalandiya, Sun 23.9.12, Afternoon
Translation: Ruth Fleishman
A long and sad line of woman, childr
en and babies was passing through the checkpoint at the end of a day of prison visits.
From one stretcher to another stretcher, from one ambulance to another ambulance, in the back-to-back procedure, a young man was being transferred after surgery to his home in Ramallah.
Twenty five men, who were caught by the border police hunters at Zur Hadasa in the early morning hours, had been detained during the entire day. They had been taken five at a time to Qalandiya checkpoint ("they don't have a vehicle large enough to contain them all, they said…) and from there they were sent off to Palestinian territories. Among them were people whose homes are in Hebron and Bethlehem.
Stones were thrown at the pillbox, grenades shot at the stone throwers and a lot of stifling tear gas was in the air. That's the way it has been going on every day in the afternoon for nearly ten days, so said acquaintances. "It's because the people don't have money", one person said.
Some of the stand owners hurried to put away their products and disappear, those who couldn't afford to lose a few Shekels even in the midst of danger to their bodies and health kept running between the stones and grenades and seducing the people rushing to and from the checkpoint with sunglasses, Koran versus, chewing gum, cellphone appliances and other items that nobody really needs but buys them mostly as a gesture of kindness.
And Abed, the owner of soft drinks stand which is made out of Pringles boxes that resemble colorful ice cream scoops, pointed towards the holes in the roof of his store that were punctured by gas grenades.
When the soldiers got out of the checkpoint and headed armed with rifles towards the teenagers (pictures of whom I can't send for fear they might be recognized), I noticed two soldiers that discreetly climbed up the tower closest to the refugee camp. I drew the attention of two teenagers, who were among the leaders of those armed with stones. By doing so I knowingly and in clear mind refuted the answer that was a response to the settlers' claims published in Maariv. Because I, like Vivi, Hagit S' and additional members have no doubt a side and together with whom we stand at the occupied Palestinian territories.
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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