Israel to allow daylight pilgrimage at Joseph’s tomb for first time in 25 years

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

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

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

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

Katz said the guidelines “allow for 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 within the tomb grounds until 8 a.m., allowing them to hold the traditional morning prayer service at the site. Additional groups will be allowed to enter from 6 a.m. and stay until two o’clock.

Joseph’s tomb: a holy place under military guard

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

The tomb is the burial place 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 tomb after a Palestinian mob stormed the compound. A Border Patrol agent who was shot bled to death after security forces were unable to rescue him. Rioters burned the site again in 2015. The tomb has been desecrated and renovated several times, most recently in 2022.