For hundreds of Palestinians, a 2-kilometer Jerusalem commute takes three hours
A checkpoint near Al-Sawahreh al-Sharqiyeh, in East Jerusalem, once provided direct access to the city, but most residents of the neighborhood are longer permitted to use it, with no explanation from the authorities
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A checkpoint near Al-Sawahreh al-Sharqiyeh, in East Jerusalem, once provided direct access to the city, but most residents of the neighborhood are longer permitted to use it, with no explanation from the authorities
01:59 PM • January 11 2026 IST
Laila al-Halasa is a special-education teacher at a school in Jerusalem's Armon Hanatziv neighborhood. The distance from her home to the school, as the crow flies, is about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). Last Sunday, as usual, she left home shortly before 7 A.M. and arrived at the school after a drive of roughly three hours.
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For Hundreds of Palestinians, a 2-km Jerusalem Commute Takes Three Hours
