Qalandiya, Thu 3.12.09, Afternoon
Beit Iksa – Ras Bidu Checkpoint and Givat Zeev
From 2:15 PM until 4:45 PM
After meeting in Ramot we continued past the Ramot CP so we would not be stopped if we made the turn towards Beit Iksa. Most of the transits had been moved away from the main road further down on the road to Beit Iksa – most had Palestinian number plates. We proceeded to the new Checkpoint called Ras Bidu beyond Beit Iksa and marveled at the beautifully asphalted road with the white arrows and brand new signs showing where cabs should park – but there were no taxis. No one checked us in that direction and we continued a little before turning around and had to wait for some time for two cars in front of us which were being investigated rather meticulously, but there was no long wait, since there were only very few cars. We were stopped and our Id's were scrutinized. Two of us, having rather new Id's. did not have the word ‘Jewess', but the place of birth instead, so we may have been somewhat suspicious! One of the soldiers knew who we were, the one who checked us had to be informed by his colleague and then let us pass. We parked beyond the CP and watched, but although every car was stopped, they all passed after a minute or so. We saw the new construction and vastness of Givat Zeev from this high point. We were not stopped when we exited into the Ramot Road (an oversight?).
On the way out we inspected the construction in Giv'on Hakhadasha and the few houses of Shuf-Khalula. A tiny hamlet – some of its residents have Palestinian Id's and have to apply to the DCL in Beit El for permits to go out of their homes.
We arrived at the Givat Zeev CP around 4:00 PM and indeed this was the time for most workers to come home and there was a steady stream. When we tried to enter their sleeve we were shouted at to move back. Most workers greeted us with a smile. A young man drives people who arrive at the CP home. Acts like a taxi, but has no permit as such. We saw two young women helping an older woman who could hardly walk across the long sleeves of the CP and were told that the taxis on the other side of the CP are about 500 yards away – no easy feat for people who have heavy bundles or are elderly.
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-16-2026Qalandiya CP: shortcut
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