Qalandiya, after the holidays, the lines once again are long.
05.15. It is dark outside and the muezzin’s call is heard. A prayer group is organized on the sidewalk near the parking lot on the Israeli side. Another group is praying at the entrance to the checkpoint. We waited for an opportune moment to move between the lines to enter.
Five checking stations were open most of the time, but the lines stretched way beyond the shed. Yet the speed was reasonable.
The beigel seller was present, and the new falafel stand was open. Our friend H. was resting on a bench. He said that during the holidays he could pass without difficulty, so apparently there was not a real closure. Indeed, he worked particularly hard during the holidays because of all the visitors to Mahane Yehuda, and now he was exhausted. He took up his place in the queue only as it drew near the entrance to the cage leading to the turnstiles.
By 6 o’clock many people had gathered at the humanitarian gate. The soldier who came to replace the one in the cubicle, clearly new to the job, did not understand why they were there and told them to go to the regular lines. We explained to him that the gate was supposed to open at 6. The people there knew this, of course, and remained there. Some minutes later the D.C.O. officer arrived with a guard, and the gate opened – at 6.20.
Meanwhile we went outside to enjoy the dawn. There is a new little coffee kiosk outside, run by our friend Iman. He said his family is once again permitted to open it, and they will have the rights to a new kiosk when the building project is completed.
We could see that now buses and taxis can approach the checkpoint . Apparently entrance is remote-controlled by cameras.
Returning, we met our friend the teacher. His permit has not yet been renewed by his school and, being over 55, he waits until 8 o’clock to enter without a permit. But without a permit he can cross at Qalandiya only on weekdays, and on Saturdays (when his school is open) he has to travel to the Bethlehem checkpoint. On the Mondays on which Succoth fell, he could not pass even there.
Towards 7.30 the lines were short enough to be within the shed, but still reached to the end of it. Therefore, when Mohammed phoned to tell us he was already waiting on the Israel side for us to take him to Hadassah for treatment, we went through the humanitarian gate – and were through the checking station in 10 minutes.
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-27-2026Qalandiya: On the way to prayer
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