Permit

What is closure, and how does it block Palestinians with certain IDs from moving freely? We asked Yael Berda, who worked within and studied this little-understood bureaucracy.

A young man shares his lifetime of experience of dealing with Israel’s closure of Jerusalem and how it has impacted his entire life.

Case Study The Suffocation of Beit Iksa, al-Nabi Samwil, and al-Khalayla

The villages of Beit Iksa, al-Nabi Samwil, and al-Khalayla have been blocked by the Separation Wall, making life for Palestinians there miserable.

Personal Story The Perils of Entrapment in al-Khalayla

Cold, arbitrary political decisions prevented Watan’s timely access to medical services and left her in a wheelchair; years later, similar calculations may have led to her death.

Short Take Total Closure Days (vs. General Closure)

A quick overview of the “total closure day” and how it operates within the larger closure regime.

Personal Story Pregnant and in Desperate Need of a Hospital, “I Ended Up Sneaking in Like a Thief”

A young pregnant woman summons inner strength to get around a checkpoint while on the verge of giving birth.

Personal Story Navigating Closure as an “Illegal” in My Own City

An unannounced closure leaves a Jerusalemite native stranded at Qalandiya checkpoint, with no way home.

Personal Story Sick While Blacklisted, and the Care You Need Is Found Only in Jerusalem

The closure of Jerusalem means severe hardships for those outside the city who seek care that is only available in it. Salma, a cancer patient, shares.

Personal Story Helga Tawil-Souri: “A Confining and Asphyxiating Experience”

What’s the experience of traversing a checkpoint really like, minute by agonizing minute? And what does it do to your soul? Helga Tawil-Souri narrates.