Qalandiya, Wed 15.5.13, Afternoon
The Nakba Day at Qalandiya
On the 15th of May the Palestinians mark the day of the Nakba Day, the day of their catastrophe. 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Palestinian_exodus)
During all hours of the day there were confrontations between the soldiers and Palestinian teenagers on two front lines- the two entrances to the checkpoint.
Representatives of the strongest army in the world were shielded from head to toe and armed with various weapons, constantly shot ammunition at the Palestinians who were armed with car tires, stones and empty glass bottles that they had picked up at a thorny field nearby where they hid.
The superiority of the soldiers was evident not only in their equipment and ammunition, but also in their high locations and their sniping posts from the holes in the wall.
They shot at the thorn field until the place filled with clouds of gas that rose above the area and with them the heads of the teenagers lifted, as their breath stung and their eyes welled with tears. They began to escape the site while the soldiers' bullets flew after them.
And there was a boarder police officer who was looking for pray and went head hunting, people said that: "This redheaded officer" arrested during the afternoon a couple of lads. We didn't see that happen, but we did see him hassling a wretched panhandler with a mental illness, he invaded his privet space with his hands, looked through his pockets, took out their content and only after humiliating the weakest of all he let him be. But he was still not satisfied, he detained two teenagers, confiscated their IDs, forced them with his rifle to stand aside while he made a phone call to find out if there was anything suspicious on their records. There was nothing suspicious and the teenagers were released.
The heart goes out to the group of brave teenagers, the second generation to degradation and occupation, who since birth had never experienced freedom, but know that this is their country, this is their land, this is their homeland and to those who fight and protest against the representatives of the invader, the degrader and the thief.
And at the sound of their commander the shooting soldiers switched to a new strategy, they started surrounding the teenagers from a different side, it was only natural to warn them so that they wouldn't fall in the trap that the armed men prepared for them.
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 FleishmanNov-30-2025Qalandiya: Puddles and dirt after the rain
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