Qalandiya: “We get no permits for anything"

Again, and still, the emptiness of the pedestrian crossing welcomes those coming.

Again, and still, the offices of the Civil Administration are locked and deserted.

-“We get no permits for anything, a person who has to update his ID because he got married cannot do so”, said a man who waited impatiently among dozens of others for 4 p.m. because then, around 4, or perhaps afterwards, the checkpoint would be opened.

And indeed, again and still, the checkpoint is opened for three hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. “If you don’t get back quickly, until 6 p.m., you won’t be able to get back home”, I was hurried and warned by friends.

Again, still, I am told about blocked villages, hundreds of arrests, a shortage of food, college students at Bir Zeit who cannot get to their classes.

What I didn’t know and now heard is that not only the pedestrian checkpoint is closed but that the vehicular checkpoint, as well, is closed to all traffic after 5 p.m. No one can enter or exit.  Indeed, at ten minutes to five, all the gates were closed and policemen directed drivers wishing to enter Palestine to the military gate near A-Ram. Exiting Palestine is possible through Hizma Checkpoint which, as we know, exists and serves mainly settlers.

What else I didn’t know and was now told, is that for over a month now, the Israeli army closes off the Jab’a Checkpoint at 6 a.m. for three hours. Why? So that the Palestinians would not get to Adam Roundabout and not crowd colonist traffic on Road 60. The traffic jam thus created is endless, and reaches the outskirts of Ramallah.