Jewish worshippers fired on at Joseph’s Tomb
Jewish worshippers who entered Nablus (Shechem) to pray at Joseph’s Tomb on Sunday night were fired on as they exited the city, according to Israeli media.
The 11-vehicle convoy, including four minibuses, carried religious Jews to the holy site to pray, sing and dance. The visit was not coordinated with Israeli security forces, according to Channel 12.
On the way out, some of the vehicles were hit by gunfire, according to the report. No casualties were reported.
There have been numerous instances of Arab attacks on Jewish visitors to the tomb in recent years. Last October, five Jews were attacked by Palestinian stone-throwers at the tomb. In late August, four Israeli soldiers were wounded during an operation to secure entry to the compound for civilian visitors.
A month earlier, one Palestinian was reported killed and several wounded in clashes that erupted when Islamic Jihad terrorists attacked worshippers and their military escort at the shrine.
In 2022, nearly every monthly visit by Jews to the site came under attack.
Joseph’s Tomb itself has frequently been the target of Arab vandals. When the Israeli government abandoned the site days after a deadly attack there on Oct. 1, 2000, it elicited a promise from the Palestinian Authority that the site would be protected after Israeli security forces withdrew. It was destroyed shortly afterwards.
In 2022, security conditions in Judea and Samaria had deteriorated to the point that the Israel Defense Forces again began operating in Nablus. At first, small groups of Jews made risky attempts to visit the tomb, unauthorized and without IDF escort. Larger groups now enter at night, generally accompanied by heavy military presence.
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