Qalandiya - digging a tunner; Shuafat - remembering the murdered Muhammad Abo Khder

Place:

'Anata-Shu'afat

Qalandiya

Observers:

Tamar Fleishmanף Translator: Tal H.

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Oct-3-2021

Afternoon

The roundabout at the entrance to the checkpoint compound is gone.

Heavy equipment is upending every stone, turning over the soil and piling rubble.

I was told that in a few days the vehicle lanes here will be blocked because they are digging a tunnel for the settler-colonists from Giv’at Ze’ev to drive directly to Adam.

It’s for the ‘suttlers’, says Ahmad, the ‘suttlers’ will drive through the tunnel without seeing us (Palestinians).

I know how right Ahmad is.

For better, it’s unpleasant to see Palestinians, it’s easy to hide them, turn one’s look away, even invest a fortune in digging. For worse, one could shoot them at ‘body mass center’.

The bridge that crosses the road

Photo:

Tamar Fleishman

The setting along the Separation Wall is perfectly built. Perfectly built is also the bridge that crosses the road. It’s not that Israel lacks bridge engineers, but the welfare and comfort of those having to cross the bridge in order to enter and/or leave the West Bank is the last thing on their minds. The Palestinians are like present-absentees. Andperhaps that is why an elevator was not installed for those having trouble with upstairs-downstairs.

The escaping prisoners/heroes are still the topic of the day. Sinwar’s trip to the talks in Egypt has been imbuing people with hope and certainty that the six will be among the prisoners to be freed in the ongoing deal.

In Shuafat,

A gravestone in memory of the boy Muhammad Abu Khadir

Photo:

Tamar Fleishman

A gravestone in memory of the boy Muhammad Abu Khadir of Shuafat in East Jerusalem who was abducted and murdered by three Jews on July 2, 2014

A sign in memory of the boy Muhammad Abu Khadir

Photo:

Tamar Fleishman

The years have eroded the stone, time has faded the portrait, but the fire has not been quenched, and continues to burn in the hearts of the mother and father, just as it did on that bitter night. Mohammad was murdered once, but his parents continue to be murdered everyday, every night, every hour and no one can quench the fire that consumed him.

These were Mohammad’s favorite cookies, said the mother and served cookies filled with dates from Jericho, that she prepares her son for his birthday, always has.

Location Description

Shu'afat-Anata

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The Shu’afat checkpoint is located in the northern part of East Jerusalem at the exit from the village of Anata and the Shu’afat refugee camp, which are located in the area annexed to Jerusalem in 1967. The refugee camp borders the Shu’afat neighborhood to the west, Pisgat Ze’ev to the north, the French Hill neighborhood to the south and the planned expansion of Ma’aleh Adumim to E-1 in the east. It was established in 1966 for 1948 refugees from the West Bank and was populated after the Six Day War by persons who had been expelled from the Jewish Quarter. Today its population comprises some 25,000 people holding blue ID cards and some 15,000 people with Palestinian ID cards. The camp lacks adequate infrastructure and services, and suffers from poverty, neglect and overcrowding. All its buildings are connected to the public electricity and water infrastructure, but not all are connected to the sewer system. The camp’s services are provided by UNRWA, except for those such as health clinics and transportation of pupils to schools in Jerusalem. In 2005, the Israeli High Court of Justice rejected a suit by the residents requesting that the route of the separation fence be drawn such that the camp would remain on the Israeli side, but conditioned its approval of the route on the establishment of a convenient and rapid crossing facility for the inhabitants of the neighborhood, most of whom are residents of Jerusalem.

A temporary checkpoint operated there until December, 2011. It was extremely congested during rush hours, and dangerous for pedestrians (especially children) because of inadequate safety provisions. The new checkpoint was inaugurated south of the old one, for public and private transportation and for pedestrians, intended solely for the residents of the camp – holders of blue ID cards, and those with Palestinian ID cards who possess appropriate permits. There are five vehicle inspection stations at the checkpoint, and two for pedestrians (one of which is currently closed) where scanners have been installed but are not yet operating. According to the army, representatives of government agencies will also be present to provide services to residents of the neighbourhood. The pedestrian lanes are very long, located far from the small parking lots, and accessible through only a single revolving gate.

Dec-20-2023

Anat Tueg

Anata: new traffic circle at the exit junction

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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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