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Yossi Dagan, head of Samaria Regional Council, said the goal is to “see the Israeli flag flying over Joseph’s Tomb.”
By Shula Rosen
Jewish worshippers held a daytime prayer service at Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus, marking the first full daytime service at the site since 2000 as supporters of expanded Jewish access sought to increase activity at the tomb of the biblical figure.
The visit was led by Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, and lawmaker Tzvi Succot, who heads the Knesset caucus on Joseph’s Tomb and other committees.
Participants conducted an afternoon prayer service during the visit.
The entry was approved by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth.
The visit was coordinated with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and the head of Central Command.
Dagan said the long-term objective was to reestablish the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva at the compound and “see the Israeli flag flying over Joseph’s Tomb.”
Joseph’s Tomb is located in Nablus, within an area administered by the Palestinian Authority.
Under the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, the site remained under Israeli control despite being situated inside territory governed by the Palestinian Authority.
For years after the accords, the IDF maintained a permanent presence at the location to secure the compound and facilitate visits by Jewish worshippers.
Prayer arrangements at the site changed during the Second Intifada, when intense clashes resulted in restrictions on Jewish access.
Since then, visits have generally been limited to evening hours and have taken place under military escort.
The daytime prayer service followed efforts to gradually expand access to the site. Organizers and supporters of the initiative have advocated broader Jewish presence at the tomb and increased religious activity there.
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