Qalandia checkpoint is the great bottle-neck between Jerusalem and Ramallah — between Israel and the West Bank, ostensibly. But, in reality, it is a huge bottle-neck in traffic between some parts of East Jerusalem and other parts of East Jerusalem.
Traffic got worse every day in Ramadan — as it always does. Fasting people do not make great drivers.
But, nothing, nothing, nothing compares to what has happened on the Eid — the three-day post-Ramadan holiday, when Palestinians go to visit their families and friends.
The first day of the three-day holiday is for the closest family members. This is an obligation that cannot be waivered.
Children get to show off their new clothes. After the special morning group prayer, families go to visit their dead in the cemeteries.
The second day is for the next in rank. Some stores and businesses reopen.
By the third day, people are more relaxed. But there is still a lot of visiting…
Now, imagine all this going on through Qalandia checkpoint — where there is one road with two lanes (one in each direction) on either side of the checkpoint, and one of those two lane roads also serves for those going around Qalandia, to ar-Ram, to the football stadium, or to Bethlehem, or Jericho, or even the northern West Bank.
There is no — repeat, NO — Israeli traffic control on the approach coming from Jerusalem. Those who think they are the strongest, and who have a total disregard for any of their fellow human beings, even other Palestinians, then start to pass, or overtake the line of cars filing towards the checkpoing — into the oncoming lane. The few cars or public transport mini-vans who do get out of Qalandia despite the four-day total closure of the West Bank then meet those who think they are better than everybody else, and gridlock starts.
Gridlock spreads quickly — because there is only one lane in each direction, and there is NO traffic control.
The two skinny Palestinians in unmarked uniforms and fluorescent green safety vests who were allowed to approach the checkpoint on the Ramallah side are not working — it is a holiday. No alternative arrangements have been made.
Tens of thousands of cars, many loaded with five or more passengers, are all trying to get in or around Qalandia.
Israel has built Qalandia checkpoint, and The Wall around it, in such a way that many, many tens of thousands of East Jerusalem residents are living on the Ramallah side. They all have Israeli permanent-resident blue IDs, and they all drive cars with “yellow” or Israeli license plates.
On Eid, they want to go visit their families in Jerusalem. Then, at night, they want to come home.
Many East Jerusalem Palestinians who live on the Jerusalem side of the Wall want to go visit their families on the Ramallah side of Qalandia, or elsewhere in the West Bank. Some want to try the new restaurants and cafes in Ramallah. Then, at night, they all want to come home, too.
So, the net result is total gridlock – and an Eid from hell.
UPDATE: A Palestinian friend who lives in Qafr Aqab (still, technically, of the Greater Jerusalem municipality, though it is on the West Bank side of Qalandia checkpoint) says he has often wondered where all these cars with “yellow” plates, driven by Palestinians, come from on the Eid. He says that he knows every car in Qafr Aqab and Semiramis, and he has never seen these cars before. He confirmed that the traffic situation at Qalandia for the past three Eids hars been as it has been this year — total stress, utter lawlessness, sheer hell.
Last night, I was driving in the slow (or right-hand) lane towards Qalandia. Both the slow and fast lanes were packed, bumper to bumper. We were all moving with the flow, as we could. It took me more than one hour just to get around Qalandia (from Qalandia camp to ar-Ram junction) — and that was record time for this Eid, from all the unofficial inquiries I have made.
But, during this time, some wise guy who looked too young to drive, in a big black car with “yellow” license plates, found a space to squeeze beside me, and then cut in front of me without any warning or signal. He tore off the front bumper of ms y car. A group of young men who witnessed this picked up some of the pieces, and shouted and ran after him to stop. But he did not. And there was nothing anybody could do. There was no law and order. There was not one inch of room. Anybody who stopped to deal with a traffic accident would cause an even more massive traffic problem, and would risk their lives.
UPDATE: I am told that this is a problem that “often” happens at Qalandia — particularly to women drivers, I was assured. The person who told me this also said that the Palestinian Authority has no authority over those Palestinians who have East Jerusalem IDs, even if they live on the West Bank side of Qalandia checkpoint (in areas such as Qafr Aqab and Semiramis), and cannot intercept or arrest them if they cause accidents such as this wise guy did to me.
In such situations, people could come to blows — or worse — at the snap of a finger.
And then, the Israeli soldiers would fire tear gas on all the stalled cars, and affect all the apartments and shops lining the street, and the situation could — and usually does — deteriorate again.
Only God can help in such a situation.
It is a scandal — and a shame on the state of Israel — to allow such a hazardous and demeaning situation to develop. And the Palestinian Authority does nothing, either, claiming its hands are tied, it is helpless, and it has no say in the matter…