Qalandiya - Strangling East Jerusalem

Last week my wife and I endured our first Qalandiya experience.

Qualandiya is the infamous terminal style checkpont that Israel has constructed since 2003, separating Ramallah from East Jerusalem. This is where it is located :



It is important to understand that historically, Ramallah and Bethlehem are merely dormitory suburbs of East Jerusalem - the commute into the capital for work, shopping or family visits was until recently a routine daily. No more - it is now a 4 hour humiliation, clearly designed to sever the economic ties between Arab Jerusalem and its West Bank hinterland.

This is a typical saturday :



Below is the full slideshow of our ordeal - photos were taken despite the Palestinians pleading with us to hide the camera :

Qalandiya Slide Show