Daytime Jewish prayer held at Joseph’s Tomb for first time in 25 years

For the first time in 25 years, Jewish worshippers held a daytime prayer service Thursday morning at Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem (Nablus).

The service followed a decision by Defence Minister Yisrael Katz to expand entry hours at the site beyond nighttime visits. The move marks the first daylight prayers for Jews since 2000, when services were halted during the Second Intifada. Since then, coordinated visits to the site had taken place almost exclusively at night under heavy military escort.

The move followed a prolonged effort led by Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan and Knesset member Zvi Sukkot, chairman and acting deputy minister for foreign affairs and security for Judea and Samaria. The decision allows daytime access to the site, organised with volunteers from the Joseph’s Tomb and Holy Places Administration and approved by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

Thursday’s prayer followed an overnight entry by worshippers as part of the council’s regular monthly visits.

Among those attending were Dagan, Sukkot, Rabbi Yosef Elitzur, head of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva that once operated at the site, Rabbi Dodi Dudkevich of the nearby community of Yitzhar, and senior military officials.

The tomb is the burial site of Joseph, the son of the biblical patriarch Jacob.

Shechem is located in Area A under the administrative and security jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority. However, under the Oslo Accords, Israeli forces were allowed to remain at the holy site. In 2000, Israel abandoned the grave after a Palestinian mob stormed the compound. A Border Police officer who was shot bled to death when security forces were unable to rescue him. Rioters burned down the site again in 2015. The tomb has been desecrated and refurbished several times, most recently in 2022.

Dagan described the event as a symbolic turning point. “This morning is a morning of historical correction,” he said. “After years of entering in the dead of night, we are returning home with our heads held high and in full daylight. Joseph’s Tomb is an important symbol, and this is a significant step toward establishing a permanent and full hold on the site.”

Sukkot credited Katz for authorising the change. “We have achieved an important step of progress by holding a morning prayer and entering Joseph’s Tomb during daylight hours,” he said. “This is the beginning of an important and historic amendment, and we will continue to work until a full Jewish presence is restored.”

The daytime entry is part of a broader, staged plan promoted by Dagan and Sukkot to reestablish a permanent Jewish presence at the tomb and to return the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva to the complex. The initiative also involves outreach efforts aimed at government officials and the broader public.

Rabbi Elitzur said the prayer carried deep historical meaning. “We are happy and excited to pray Shacharit here in the yeshiva’s beit midrash,” he said, expressing hope for a future permanent return.

The Yesha Council welcomed the development, calling the daylight prayer “a clear declaration of sovereignty” and thanking the defence minister and security forces for enabling the visit.