The wasteland between Jerusalem and Ramallah

Posted on August 17th, 2008 by Marian Houk

This is the main way between Jerusalem and Ramallah.

The road just beside The Wall was closed by Israeli security yet again today, for the addition of more security measures before Ramadan (the 30-day month of fasting expected to start this year on 1 September), when Palestinians desperately want to go to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, and try any way to get past these “barriers” and “fences” to get there.

Need I mention that the way between Jerusalem and Ramallah used to be a lively short trip of about 15 minutes max up and down a vibrant commercial strip? And it was this way not so long ago, either — until the failed Camp David peace talks in late summer 2000, and the subsequent Second Intifada that peaked in 2002-04.

Now, with the bad roads, the checkpoints, and the official unofficial “border crossing” at Qalandia, it is now closer to a 45-minute or even one hour trip, each way, in the best of conditions.

After visiting Ramallah, I came back through ar-Ram, on the other side of The Wall as shown in the first photos above. There is a watchtower to keep an eye on everyone penned in on the Palestinian side.