Qalandiya, Tue 22.11.11, Morning
The lines leading to the three turnstiles were not particularly long when we arrived at the checkpoint at 06:05 but the shouts and whistling indicated that those standing in line were upset. We soon discovered that the soldier responsible for opening the three turnstiles was opening only two of them, and that the men in line to the third one (on the right, furthest away from the soldier in the glassed-in booth) were stuck in the narrow, cage-like passageway. This situation continued for about 25 minutes before we managed to get the attention of the Civil Administration duty officer on site and make him aware of the problem. It’s rather infuriating that, other than we two, no one bothered to look into why there were shouts of protest, of all things, when the turnstiles were opened! After talking with us, the officer promptly entered the glass booth and dealt with the problem, but the morning’s angry mood had already been established.
In addition, from our arrival at 06:05 until about 07:00, the soldier in charge of opening the turnstiles let only 8-10 people through each time, and there were long waits between each opening. The result was lines extending to the back of the covered waiting area, with the men waiting in line shouting and whistling to signal the soldier that his system (if one can call it that) left much to be desired. A number of times the soldier used the loud-speaker system to offer “advice” to the crowd, along the lines of “Just wait, wait” (in Hebrew, as if the men in line were doing something other than waiting, seemingly forever), and “Take it easy” (in Arabic). We failed to agree between us whether his intent was to “communicate” with the irritated Palestinians or to taunt them. After 07:00 the soldier allowed a larger number of people to pass through the turnstiles each time he opened them.
The Humanitarian Gate opened at 06:05 and every 15 minutes or so thereafter, when anywhere from 100 to 150 people had gathered in front of it. No one was waiting by it at 07:30 when we left the checkpoint, and the lines leading to the three turnstiles were shorter. A man who stood at the end of one of those lines at 06:50 later told us by phone that he exited the checkpoint at 07:50.
Qalandiya Checkpoint / Atarot Pass (Jerusalem)
See all reports for this place-
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 FleishmanJul-21-2026Qalandiya. Conversation in the shadow of the wall
-
