Qalandiya, Sun 28.2.10, Afternoon
"Purim is nisht keyn yom tov, un kadahat is nisht keyn krank"– my grandfather used to say. In English it means "Purim isn't a holiday and a fever is not an illness".
My grandfather, who was very old when he passed away, had seen much injustice during his life time. He wasn't familiar with the injustice which is Qalandiya checkpoint.
It just might be that the Lords of Occupation don't regard a fever as an illness. But Purim at the checkpoint is definitely a holiday.
In Israel it is a work day just like any other, but behind the checkpoint those with work and trading permits are forced not to work: "Today there is a closure, you have a holiday", said a person at the entrance to the checkpoint, and his friend added: "Tomorrow is also a holiday. We want to work…".
The BP officers in their vehicle and with their weapons drove the taxi drivers away from the checkpoint's parking lot and didn't take the day off. But the taxi drivers didn't need to be sent off: "There is no work today, nobody is here", they said and drive away.
Load music was heard from above. The beginning of a song, just the first line which was repeated over and over again: "Oh, I haven't got the strength… Oh, I haven't got the strength…" The Palestinians were either indifferent or annoyed by the noise. After all, indifference is the only thing that makes it possible for them to survive their daily suffering.
The angry winds and diagonal rain that hit our faces like cold blades, made the atmosphere even more depressing. The kids that peddle by the checkpoint weren't to be found either on that holiday: "today there is no one to sell to", said the man that sells Kabbab, who's cart was the only one, a part for the candy cart, which had greeted those arriving at the checkpoint on that sad day.
Suddenly there was a racket at the shed: the person selling Kabbab, who had been talking and smiling at us, turn away from us. Like an animal smelling its enemy, or perhaps a hunter coming by: His senses sharpened, his muscles tightened, he shoved his belongings into the cart and ceased to notice us or hear our questions. After several seconds all his belongings had been in his cart and he started pushing is outside out the lot. Then there was a 'calming signal'. The muscles relaxed, the tension faded and the cart stood back under the shed and he came back and said: "They said that municipal inspectors were here…"
Is that also characteristic of a holiday?
Happy hoiliday!
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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