Thousands Enter Joseph's Tomb in Nablus Amid Calls to Reclaim Site from Palestinian Authority

On Monday night, thousands of worshippers entered the Joseph's Tomb compound in Nablus (Shechem) with the assistance of volunteers from the Samaria Regional Council and under the protection of the Israel Defense Forces. Among those present were Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, Samaria Chief Rabbi Elikim Levanon, Knesset member Tzvi Sukkot, and Rabbi Yossi Elitzur, head of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva. Senior military officials including West Bank Division commander Brigadier General Kobi Heller, Border Police commander Nisso Gueta, and Samaria Brigade commander Colonel D. also attended.

Rabbi Levanon emphasized the long-awaited redemption of Joseph the Righteous and expressed hope for 24/7 access to the site, calling Joseph's redemption the redemption of the Jewish people. Rabbi Elitzur urged the Israeli government to establish a permanent presence at Joseph's Tomb. Yossi Dagan highlighted the difficult period of terrorism and the 21st anniversary of the evacuation from Gush Katif and northern Samaria, noting a growing return to northern Samaria. He called on the government to correct the "absurdity" of Joseph's Tomb remaining under Palestinian control since October 7, 2000, when Israel withdrew from the site. Dagan described the site as fundamental to Jewish heritage and civilization, lamenting its destruction and desecration.

Dagan urged the government to respond to the current wave of terrorism by returning to the roots, rebuilding the land, reinstating the yeshiva, redeploying the IDF, and raising the Israeli flag at the holy site, which he said should be guaranteed even under the Oslo Accords. Knesset member Tzvi Sukkot condemned the neglect and abandonment of the site to Palestinian militants and called for a full return to Joseph's Tomb to rectify this injustice.

This event reflects a broader push by Israeli leaders and settlers to reclaim and secure Joseph's Tomb as a key religious and national symbol amid ongoing tensions and violence in the West Bank.