Qalandiya, Sun 30.1.11, Afternoon
Was he content once he became the master of the time of those who were victims to his whims, or was he just trying their patience?
The soldier's eyes that were watching from the front post, embodied the service orientation. They watched but didn't see those waiting in the cold on the other side, waiting for the will to open the gates to come upon him. The will lingered.
Was he content once he became the master of the time of those who were victims to his whims, or was he just trying their patience?
The governmental complex:
The checkpoint was deserted on that cold and wet afternoon. After waiting for a long time we entered. By miracle the lane to the governmental complex, which inhabits a blue and adorned building, was open. VIP delegations are taken from time to time to this complex, so as to show them how the mechanism of the occupation works in favor of the occupied people.
The front wall at the wide entrance hall is made of blue round glass. At the sides of this glass are two walls made of bear bricks, on which photos that looked as though they were drawn by children hang , as well as photos from the beginning of the 20th century that document historical events in Jerusalem. In the middle was a watch, decorated with roses, which greets (in Hebrew) those entering.
The head of the community center invited us to his office, he told us about the essence of the center and its services for the residents of the neighborhoods outside the separation wall at Jerusalem.
We learned that the center that was established by the Sharon administration in 2006, holds sport activities, computer, barber and Hebrew courses, Capoeira lesions, and so forth.
When we inquired about the blockage that had been placed during the past couple of weeks by the checkpoint, which makes it even harder to travel between Ramallah and East Jerusalem, he said that it was meant to "improve the traffic near the checkpoint". It was decided on by the municipality of Jerusalem, the council and us-aid.
We got out of the building which blinds the foreigners and forces them into a reality which is like quick sand, and went outside to the wind and hail that hit our faces and made us leave the site.
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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