Qalandiya, Tue 22.10.13, Morning
Translator: Charles K.
The checkpoint was almost empty when we arrived at 05:40; everyone who came until we left at 07:00 crossed freely through the revolving gate in the left-hand lane. There was no need for the humanitarian gate, which wasn’t used. A DCO soldier went there at 06:15 but no one came; after a while she went back to where she’d been. A policeman sat in the aquarium by himself, occasionally referring people to empty fenced corridors. A man approached to thank us for being there, saying that when we’re here things are very good; yesterday, when we weren’t here, the lines were extremely long. Of course we couldn’t take credit for today’s conditions, but expressed our gratitude to him for making the effort to come over and thank us.
A word about the lighting on Highway, which connects Highway 443 with the Atarot industrial zone and the Qalandiya checkpoint. There’s no lighting beyond the first plaza (leading to the industrial zone); it’s been like that for a long time. Either there’s something wrong with that section of the road, or it’s simply that no one has bothered to replace the bulbs for a very long time (at least a year). It’s black as pitch, the road is narrow and in poor condition, there are no shoulders, traffic is heavy – including heavy equipment – and many people walk along the road from the checkpoint to the industrial zone. Whoever reads this, and knows which authority is responsible for this road (the Jerusalem municipality? The Mateh Binyamin regional council? God only knows; we’ll also try to find out), please, please complain seriously about its condition before a disaster happens!
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 FleishmanOct-11-2026Qalandiya. Female Beggar
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