Qalandiya: the third turnstile began miraculously to work
A cold, but quiet day at Qalandiya.
05 15. Next to the parking-lot on the Israeli side was a large group immersed in prayer. Also at the entrance to the checkpoint on the Israeli side were rows upon rows of worshippers.
When we entered the checkpoint there were lines extending beyond the shed, but at each opening of the turnstiles, the lines were contained inside. It looks as if the surroundings have undergone cleaning but inside the shed the litter was particularly noticeable, probably because the strong wind blew in plastic bags and papers. As usual lately, only four checking stations were open, the fifth opening at about 6 o’clock . The beigel seller was present (in his half-dark corner) and the kiosk was open, but the young cake seller wasn’t there and the beigel seller said he hadn’t come all week. A number of people pray privately and then join the lines.
The soldier in the aquarium was opening only 2 turnstiles. Most people automatically lined up only in two cages, but there are always some people who automatically run towards the third. When only two lanes are allowed in, they start to shout to the soldier. Today, because the lines were short, they quickly came out of the third cage and joined the other 2 lines – and because these were short there wasn’t the usual resultant chaos. The soldier came outside a few times and when we asked about the third lane, he said the turnstile was out of order. But this turned out to be untrue/mistaken because, when his replacement came, the turnstile began miraculously to work. The soldier asked who we were – although he said he was not new to Qalandiya, he had never heard of Machsomwatch. When we explained who we were he said,”Oh, you are from the other side.” We corrected him – we are on our side….
At about 6 the soldier is all ready for his replacement who is running late. Men and women approach the humanitarian gate, not yet open, but when they see the regular line is short they head for that. But when the gate finally opened at 6.15 any ‘entitled’ people in the regular line chose to move there.
We went outside to see any new developments – there were none. As they arrive and don’t see long lines reaching the road, people don’t know if this is because it is a ‘good’ day or because the lines have collapsed inside. They ask us ‘Is it okay today?’ and are happy at the answer. One young man rushing up the slope and waving his arms accidently bumped into one of us, who fell flat on her back. The young man didn’t even notice, but another older man hastened to help her up. Luckily no lasting harm was done.
Back inside, we drank tea and joined a now really short line at about 6.30. The humanitarian gate was already closed. We passed within 15 minutes.
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 FleishmanMay-13-2025Qalandiya: Back-to-back procedure for transferring patients
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