Weeks After Violence, Jewish Worshippers Flock to Joseph’s Tomb
Some 1,300 Jewish worshippers visited Joseph’s Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus this week to mark the traditional death date of the biblical figure, more than two months after the nephew of a Likud minister was killed at the holy site and six weeks after dozens of Bratslav Hasidim ran into the streets of Nablus and refused to come out.
Israel deployed a large security contingent – some 1,000 soldiers and police officers – after authorizing the late Saturday night visit, in an effort to prevent the chaos that ensued six weeks earlier.
But a veteran police officer in the Samara and Judea District who was present at the tomb said he wasn’t sure security forces would be able to keep up the pace.
“It is not certain that we can provide all these forces from now on every time people want to go to pray at the tomb,” he said.
A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
