Qalandiya – the DCO offices are closed for renovation
I went to the DCO offices and found the place shining, renovated, handsome and – closed.
I tried to enter through every crack or detour. Everything was locked and empty.
This place – committed to provide services touching upon every aspect of Palestinian life, including life-saving ones – was inactive.
I asked a security guard sitting at the opening leading to the locked-up target what about people who need the services of the DCO, and he answered: They come, see it’s closed, and leave.
Like them, I came, saw it was closed, and left.
On my way I could not help but think about the people whose lives had been stopped by these renovations, the patients who were denied access to hospitals or clinics, those who could not visit their family members, many like them and others who came and will come not of their own choice, and certainly not in their own favor.
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True, it’s not meant for anyone’s imagination one-to-one, but every time I see the skull insignia stuck to the uniform of an Israeli soldier or security guard, I am reminded of the Waffen SS death squads.
Yet the former, proudly sporting this horrific sign on their chest, like the one who let me photograph it, lack historical memory. For them it is simply cool, no more.
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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