Qalandiya, Wed 11.11.09, Afternoon
A group of young girls whom we met at the checkpoint said of late the soldiers were using the loudspeakers to imitate calls of animals (such as MIIIIAAAAUUU) when the Palestinians pass through the turnstile to the armoured room. This as been mentioned some days previously and so it does not seem that the young girls were lying.
I have no more words. Is there anyone reading this report who can pass this disgusting information on?
14.40 The southern part of Qalandiya. Today a ceremony is being held in Ramallah to commemorate the death of Yasser Arafat. The post closing the circle is not in use.
14.50 The shed is filthy. 3 sleeves are working. At least 20 people in each one. The line leading to the cage lengthens and reaches the middle of the shed. The corn seller has cut the corn into pieces of 2 centimetre ( a sign of the poverty?).
15.00 The northern side is crowded. We went through a way. Filth and much graffiti. The boys at the circle tell of the theft and return of Ronnie's bag. The corn seller asks," If there municipality?" The line of cars to Jerusalem moves slowly. The cars going to Ramallah and the West Bank cut over the circle.
15.40 There are none of the kiosk owners in the shed. "The municipality was here." The owners of the carts and made off so as not to get a fine of 700 – 800 shekel from the inspectors. Where exactly does the municipal area of Jerusalem end?
15.50 We enter the cage.
15.55 The lines in front of sleeves 2, 3 and 4 are long. I came out of sleeve 3 after 40 minutes. Ruthie took 48 minutes to come through sleeve 2. There people were let in one by one. Suddenly 6 people were allowed through. The woman soldier shlouted at them to go back to the line and to go through the turnstile again. A young man persuaded the soldier that this was not practical and so the 6 went through slowly, slowly to the armoured window to show their IDs. Afterwards the young man who organised the line said that he had to go to the DCO offices. The soldier did not let him through sleeve 2. All the people were furious and our 3 guests were horrified,
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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 FleishmanApr-26-2026Qalandiya. Things you see on the way
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