Education Minister Rafi Peretz, who attended the prayers, called for strengthening the Israeli presence in Samaria.
By TPS and World Israel News Staff
IDF forces securing the entry of Israelis into the city of Shechem (Nablus) to pray at Joseph’s Tomb exposed a bomb that was apparently meant to target the worshippers.
The forces defused the bomb, without injuries or damage.
About 1,250 worshipers attended a special prayer session held ahead of Rosh Hashanah, which will be celebrated next week. The event was held without incident. The worshippers have previously been attacked by rioters.
The entry into Shechem, which was coordinated with the IDF, occurs several times a year. The prayers take place only during the night and under heavy security provided by the Israeli forces.
It is an arrangement which was arranged between Israel and the Palestinians as part of the accords granting self-rule to the Palestinian Authority in the 1990s.
Education Minister Rafi Peretz, who attended the prayers, emphasized the importance of Jewish unity and called for the strengthening of the Israeli presence in Samaria.
“The thriving construction in Samaria must continue. As many Jews as possible should be brought here. This land of ours is a God-given gift, and we will merit deepening our roots here. Everyone who comes here takes some of those roots and comes home with some of the roots,” he said.
The IDF says that it detained 19 terrorists overnight in Judea and Samaria. The military says that the suspects were involved in violent activity against Israeli civilians and security forces.