Qalandiya

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Virginia Syvan, Ina Friedman (reporting)

Mar-20-2018

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Morning

From hell to paradise in a week

As we entered through the southern (“Israeli”) side of the checkpoint, we could already see from afar that there were no lines in the narrow outside corridor leading into the shed. And when we reached the shed we saw only short lines that advanced at a reasonable-to-swift rate throughout the morning.

Upon arrival we also met Hanna Barag, who was briefing a group of young Americans from the “If Not Now” organization and we had an opportunity to speak with them briefly during the shift.

We immediately noted signs in Arabic on the bars dividing the two sides of the checkpoint announcing that today was an “Amnesty Day,” as it were, during which people from the Qalandia area with a black mark against their name from the past could visit the DCO (where permits are issued) and ask to have the mark removed so that they would be able to request an entry permit into Israel. Once we had the signs translated for us, we were surprised that crowds of people were not coming to the checkpoint, today of all days (though perhaps they came after 8:00 a.m., when the DCO office opened). On the other hand, it could be that over the years, and especially in recent months, people have become increasingly suspicious of the intentions of the authorities and fear that the invitation is a trick of sorts to draw them to the Israeli DCO for nefarious purposes. One cannot know.

The Humanitarian Gate was opened by a security guard at 5:55 (applause!!) and operated properly throughout the shift. Later a Civil Administration officer arrived and had what seemed from a distance to be cordial conversations with the men waiting in one of the cages and afterward also with young men standing by the Humanitarian Gate (which they are not entitled to pass through).

The entire morning was so radically different from the situation in the past few harrowing weeks at Qalandia that, were we tempted to be cynical, it was almost possible to think that we were treated to a show. Yet without claiming any credit for the welcome change, it should be said that we have written a number of very sharp reports regarding the recent situation and also took care to post Bruce Shaffer’s remarkable photos from Qalandia on Facebook and Twitter, so that we may be permitted to hope that our efforts—both through our presence at the checkpoint and our publication of the dreadful situation there—have not been totally in vain. Time will tell.

We were glad to see in the courtyard to the left of the checking stations signs of construction—that is, the expansion of the checkpoint through the addition of more checking stations (a year ago we were told that five more would be added).

At 6:50, when the turnstiles at the end of the three cages were open to all comers, we passed through to one of the checking stations and exited the checkpoint in under 10 minutes.

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: The men who were refused passage, return

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