Thousands Pray at Joseph's Tomb in Rare Daytime Visit

Thousands of Israelis gathered at the tomb of Joseph the Righteous in Nablus (Shechem) on Thursday morning for a mass prayer service, marking a rare daytime visit to the holy site. The event, held on the Jewish festival of Sukkot, saw participants praying with the "four species" (lulav and etrog), a practice not seen at the site in decades.

Among the attendees were prominent figures including Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, and Knesset members Tzvi Sukkot, Uriel Buso, and Erez Malul. Military officials, including Major General Avi Bluth, commander of the IDF's Central Command, and other security leaders were also present. The visit was coordinated and approved by the Israel Defense Forces.

Dagan expressed the significance of the visit, stating, "On the day the people of Israel host Joseph the Righteous in their sukkah, we are privileged to return to him in daylight." He also offered a prayer of thanksgiving for the recent thwarting of an attack on a passenger plane from Dubai.

Knesset members highlighted the historical nature of the event. MK Sukkot called it "another piece of history at Joseph's Tomb," noting it was the first mass prayer with thousands present in the morning since the site was abandoned. MK Buso stated the visit symbolizes the Jewish people's connection to the Land of Israel.

Leaders from the "Od Yosef Chai" yeshiva, which hopes to return to the site, expressed their readiness to re-establish a permanent presence. They called on the Israeli government to officially permit the yeshiva's return, the raising of the Israeli flag, and a full, regular return to the holy site.