New Procedures at King Hussein Bridge Slowing the Crossing Process for Palestinians

For some time now, Abu Adam, 65, from Jerusalem, had avoided traveling to Jordan during the summer, especially from June until September, for fear of experiencing the same suffering he endured years prior when he studied at the University of Jordan. His suffering can’t be described in simple words; it was an experience of oppression, humiliation, and anger.

This year, however, he was compelled to travel to Jordan’s capital city of Amman for an urgent family matter. The first surprise he faced was on the Israeli-controlled side of the King Hussein Bridge, also called the Allenby Bridge (the border crossing between Jordan and the occupied West Bank), particularly at the Ministry of Interior’s desk, where the wait usually does not exceed half an hour, even in cases of overcrowding. This time, the small hall was filled with passengers, and more than 200 people were waiting for the travel permits (tasarih) that the Jordanian authorities require for entering Jordan.

Catching the astonished look on Abu Adam’s face, one of the waiting travelers said, “Don't worry. I’ve been waiting for my turn since 8:00 a.m., and it’s been three hours now, and I still have 30 people ahead of me.”1

The problem? There was only a single Israeli employee at a single window processing permits for every traveler, even those who purchased VIP service, those with disabilities, and anyone else. This clerk prepares the travel document, enters on the computer, processes the required credit card payment, and then prints the sheet of paper the traveler needs to present to the next window. The clerk was working extremely slowly, as if he was deliberately trying to cause a delay, according to Jerusalem resident Shadia Mahmoud.2 She believes that since the 2023 Gaza genocide began, Israel has been punishing Jerusalemites and complicating their lives. Shadia added that when she approached an official at the bridge to ask him to send another employee to expedite the line, his response was, “All the employees are serving in the army.”

And heaven forbid that the printer jams.

When the clock struck 4:00 p.m., after waiting for more than five hours, Abu Adam obtained an exit permit for himself, his son, and his wife.

“To tell you the truth, the Jordanian side is doing everything it can to ease and expedite the procedures,”3 he told Jerusalem Story. He had a seamless experience after he boarded the bus, entered the Jordanian hall, and quickly finished all the necessary paperwork.

Before exiting the hall, Abu Adam, like all Palestinians who don’t have Jordanian citizenship, had to pay a 10 JOD visa fee to enter Jordan, which angers many of them.

As soon as Abu Adam and his family got into a taxi to Amman, he began to think about the difficult return trip they would have to take across the bridge back home to Jerusalem. Many images have been posted on social media platforms showing the horrific conditions that befall those returning to Palestine via this bridge. Hundreds of people, including women, children, and the elderly, have had to wait for hours under the scorching sun of the Jordan Valley, where temperatures can reach over 50 degrees Celsius, for the border’s gate to open, without anyone to care for them.

Professor Mamoun Musa, a teacher at a Jerusalem school, who was returning from Jordan on July 17 along with Abu Adam, stood and watched the extreme chaos, and said:

Mamoun explained that

Many travelers visiting Jordan this summer registered for a seat on the newly established online website instead of traveling through the older VIP lane, because it did not offer passengers a chance to register beforehand. The VIP service is an expedited border crossing process that allows passengers to avoid riding crowded shuttle buses between the Israeli and Jordanian sides of the bridge (offering smaller mini-buses instead) and waiting hours to pass through passport control areas. While many travelers had previously preferred this expedited option despite its exorbitant cost ($120 extra per person), securing a reserved seat on the bus through the online platform felt like a safer bet this year.

As soon as their cars coming from Amman arrived at the bridge for the return passage, the travelers were pleasantly surprised that the Jordanian authorities smoothly processed the advanced reservations, and there wasn’t any overcrowding at the gates. However, those who believed that the VIP service would alleviate their suffering quickly realized that wasn’t to be the case, because Israel, for its part on its side, unexpectedly decided that it wouldn’t allow more than 200 people per day to use the VIP service, and only 2,500 passengers were permitted to travel by bus each day. Those who held VIP bookings, therefore, had to wait for hours on the streets outside at the bridge’s entrance before entering the hall. Jordanian officials installed sun protection material to accommodate the hundreds of Palestinians who were desperately waiting for a chance to enter the VIP section.

Jordanian officials say that nearly 5,000 passengers want to cross the border each day, and reservations are now fully booked two weeks out. Currently, the King Hussein Bridge is only open for up to six hours per day as well, unlike before the war.

Inside the hall for regular passengers, the crowds were intense, people were jostling, and their voices were loud. Everyone wanted to leave as quickly as possible because they feared that the Israeli authorities would abruptly close the bridge without notice. Israel controls the number of buses that pass through, and they close the crossing whenever they want to. The Jordanian employees, however, performed their duties to the fullest, expediting transactions and helping create a seamless process. Even at the entrance to the duty-free market, which is where many Palestinians purchase cigarettes, including elderly women, the Jordanian police organized all matters.

Every day, there is a new situation at the border crossing, and traveling across the bridge remains a daunting experience for Palestinians. Often, they do not know what their experience will entail, and it is merely up to luck, because it all depends on the Israeli authorities’ whims.

The King Hussein Bridge is the only crossing to the world for Palestinians who hold Palestinian Authority IDs, whom Israel bars from its airport. The bridge  is their gateway to travel, visit family members, and escape the hardships of life under occupation. Yet Israel continuously creates hurdles and implements aggravating restrictions, making their lives harder.

Update: Since this blog was written, Jordanian officials instituted an online registry for the VIP service, leaving those arriving from abroad and uninformed in advance about the online registry, without a way to secure a seat on any mode of transportation.