A haunting scene of a child in Qalandiya reveals how Israel’s occupation drives Palestinians in the West Bank into deepening poverty and fear, away from the world’s gaze.
What I saw as I walked along felt like a wordless story, an apparition, a silent scream that carried a single truth: no human being must ever force another to their knees — least of all children.
All moral codes forbid us from stooping to such dishonor. What I witnessed was not fate but deliberate cruelty: the calculated debasement of human beings by a regime determined to humiliate them.
Childhood Ends at the Checkpoint: A Stolen Generation at Qalandiya
Before me stood a child in a blue hoodie, kneeling on the concrete path that leads to the Qalandiya Refugee Camp. He was absorbed in the cracks beneath him, holding a thin sliver of wood.
Patiently, he slid it in and out, sideways and back, trying to pry loose what I realized were coins — perhaps dropped by someone, now lodged deep in the pavement. Despite his effort, the coins slipped farther out of reach.
While the world’s attention is fixed on the genocide in Gaza, Israel exploits the lack of scrutiny on the West Bank, using it as free rein to commit further violations against Palestinians.
Denied Access, Denied Dignity: A Testimony from Qalandiya Checkpoint
A rumor circulates constantly among West Bank residents: “When Netanyahu finishes with Gaza, he’ll turn to us — transfer us into Jordan.”
I do not know the source of this rumor, nor do I know if it is true or a ‘conspiracy theory’, which is clearly the result of fear among the people. However, history has proven that some rumors should not be ignored.
Clearly, another severe threat clearly looms ahead — on top of the current suffering: loss of livelihood, denied work permits, and a host of other crippling hardships.
(Translated by Tal Haran, edited by the Palestine Chronicle)
– As a member of Machsomwatch, Tamar Fleishman documents events at Israeli military checkpoints between Jerusalem and Ramallah. Her reports, photos and videos can be found on the organization’s website: www.machsomwatch.org. She is also a member of the ‘Coalition of Women for Peace’ and a volunteer in ‘Breaking the Silence’. Tamar Fleishman is The Palestine Chronicle correspondent at the Qalandiya checkpoint.
