Israel to allow daytime Jewish prayer at Joseph’s Tomb for first time in 25 years

Shechem is located in Area A under the administrative and security jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israel is set to allow Jewish pilgrims to spend early daylight hours at Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem (Nablus), ending a restriction that has limited visits to nighttime only for more than two decades, officials confirmed on Monday.

The change follows an agreement between Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior Israel Defense Forces commanders and marks the first time in about 25 years that Jewish worshippers will be permitted to remain at the site after sunrise.

Israeli authorities stressed that the decision does not involve a change in security arrangements or an increased military presence.

Katz said the guidelines “allow greater freedom of worship while preserving the security framework that has been in place for years.”

Under the updated guidelines, pilgrims will be allowed to stay at the tomb compound until 8 a.m., enabling them to hold the traditional morning prayer service at the site.

Additional groups will be permitted to enter beginning at 6 a.m. and remain for up to two hours.

Until now, visits have taken place almost exclusively at night, coordinated by the Israeli military and conducted under heavy security escort.

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.