Jerusalem, 11 June, 2025 (TPS-IL) — A renewed push to restore a permanent Israeli military presence at Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem (Nablus) is gaining momentum, with the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee due to discuss the issue on Thursday. The session, initiated by MK Zvi Sukkot (Religious Zionism), comes amid a counterterror operation in the Palestinian city.
“Restoring the Jewish presence at Joseph’s Tomb is necessary from a security, political and historical perspective,” Sukkot said. “We will work in every way to achieve the goal.”
The committee meeting will focus on whether the Israel Defense Forces should permanently return to the tomb, a highly sensitive site in the heart of Shechem.
The tomb is the burial site of Joseph, the son of the Biblical Patriarch Jacob.
Such a move, however, could potentially trigger an international backlash.
Shechem is located in Area A under the administrative and security jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority. However, the Oslo Accords, allowed Israeli forces to remain at the holy site. In 2000, Israel abandoned the grave after a Palestinian mob stormed the compound. A Border Policeman who was shot bled to death when security forces were unable to rescue him. Rioters burnt down the site again in 2015. The tomb has been desecrated and refurbished several times, most recently in 2022.
Since then, Jewish access to the grave is only allowed in coordination with the military and under heavy guard. Once a month, Jews are allowed to visit the holy site to pray under heavy army escort. The visits always take place at night for security reasons.
The latest developments come as the Israel Defense Forces are in the middle of a counterterror operation in Shechem. On Tuesday, a raid in the city’s casbah resulted in the arrest of at least six wanted terror suspects and the search of 250 buildings.
During that operation, four Israeli soldiers were injured in a confrontation with two Palestinians who attempted to grab a soldier’s weapon. During the struggle, the gun discharged injuring one soldier moderately and three others lightly. Troops shot and killed the two Palestinians.
According to the IDF, of the more than 6,000 wanted Palestinian terror suspects arrested in Judea and Samaria since October 7, 2023, more than 40% are affiliated with Hamas.
