Qalandiya, Wed 1.7.09, Afternoon

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Ruthie N. Hanna T.

Jul-1-2009

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Afternoon

Natanya translating.

15.45 Heavy traffic in the northerly direction and from every other direction. From Jerusalem, from 443, from north to south. Everyone jammed in at this hour of pressure at the roundabout and of course the northern passage through the checkpoint even when they are not checking decreases the tempo. At the entrance to the checkpoint 4 automated checking areas which have to be used for those returning from Israel

15.55 The pedestrian area at the turnstiles is empty and two checking areas are open.

The car lane is under great pressure from all directions and everyone is stuck at the northern circle. The soldier shouts for them to go back and the guards obstinately demand a retreat of 2 metres!!

In the shed forms are being filled in for Chaya A.

The story of one man is as usual infuriating. He is a veteran worker at Shilat from a village near Jerusalem. He shows me an article from a local newpaper about him and the judgement which the judge said that he was only fining him 1500 shekel and not a suspended prison sentence because he felt that he was honest. But the situation is obvious when the bureaucracy of the occupation gives you a "suspended" file. That is that even if he has been found innocent it makes no difference.

16.30 We go through the turnstiles in the direction of Jerusalem. There ae only two sleeves open but not many people waiting. But the "alleviation" that is for people to go through without bags actually is an impediment. Most of the workers have bags and the one lane moves very slowly and takes 25-30 minutes from the inside turnstile to the exit and the summer heat beats down. The people from despair or simply from resignation wait quietly and no one pushed. I try to imagine the same situation in today's' Israel.

17.00 At the northern side there is still pressure.

We drove to the checkpoint of Ramot and Beit Iksa and Bido.

The new road in the direction of Giv'on

17.30 At the checkpoint of Ramot the gate in the direction of Bir Naballah is closed. A police car makes a random check it seems according to the colour. We drive in a pastoral view. Behind Beit Iksa an iron bar locks the passage from Nebi Samuel and some vans wait for the workers who are returning. Before Beit Iksa the road is being widened. On the hill is a new pillbox. The bottom road joins the area with Givon and Givat Ze'ev and it seems that next to it a wall will be built and in any case the Palestinians travel through the underground tunnel. Extensive works which change the entire area. It is not clear if the road will join Mevasseret, Har Adar to Givat Ze'ev or if this is a part of the dividing wall. We will watch what happens.

At the petrol station of Bido we are met with joy and people complain about the situation.

3 villages with 35,000 people get their water in tanks. Those who can store water in wells (50000 to the person who can). Others make do with running water 3 days a week. All this when on the opposite hill Mevasseret the green gouges the eyes.

Location Description

Qalandiya Checkpoint

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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)

Apr-5-2024

Tamar Fleishman

Qalandiya: Four women from Nablus are refused crossing the checkpoint to pray

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