This is my personal experience with the Israeli ‘security barrier’ and the Qalandia military roadblock.

I moved to al Ram, north Jerusalem, from Ramallah in July 2000, two months before the 2nd Intifada (Palestinian uprising) broke out. I bought a flat there and got married. At that time I worked at LAW Society, also in al Ram, which meant that I didn't have to cross through military roadblocks every day. I only crossed them when I visited my mother and sisters or my mother-in-law in Ramallah.

However, in October 2003 I found a job in Ramallah with the USAID; LAW Society was dying at that time so I had to take the USAID job.

Working in Ramallah meant that I had to cross the Qalandia roadblock or the DCO roadblock every day. And I had to find a good nursery school for my daughter, which was only available in Ramallah. More importantly, my wife became pregnant and I did not want her to give birth at Qalandia roadblock. (There are many cases of Palestinian women who were forced by Israeli troops to give birth at Israeli military roadblocks.) So my wife and I were forced to sell our flat in al Ram and move to Ramallah.

Selling immovable property in al Ram at this time means losing a lot of money because no one wants to live in a town surrounded by walls and military roadblocks. I lost around US$ 25,000 when I sold my flat to a state agent.

Now I live in Ramallah with my wife and daughter. We are expecting a baby at the end of June or early July.

I haven't been to al Ram since April 10, the day I moved to Ramallah.

I have heard that the conditions at Qalandia have been getting worse, as the Israeli authorities are transforming it into a major border crossing like the ones on the Gaza Strip borders.