Gila Gamliel visiting Joseph's Tomb
Gila Gamliel visiting Joseph's TombRo'i Hadi

Approximately 1,500 Jews from all over Israel visited Joseph's Tomb in Shechem (Nablus) on Tuesday night.

Among the visitors were Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel (Likud) and Samaria Brigade Commander Gilad Amit.

"Our base, our foundations, are here," Gamliel said. "The fact that even then, Joseph the Righteous' demanded to be buried in Israel, is amazing. Certainly, all of us should have the right to be here."

"We will ensure that every holy place, including Joseph's Tomb, is open, and that everyone has freedom of religion and worship, especially Jews. This site gives us enormous strength."

Credit: Gamliel's office

Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan said, "Here, in this place, we touch our nation's roots. On the one hand, our heart fills with strength, but on the other, we come only at night, as if we were thieves, while even according to the Oslo Accords, Israel should have control over this site. We are strengthening ourselves here, and we hope that the yeshiva which was previously here will return, and the Israeli flag will continue to fly over this holy site."

Dagan thanked those managing Joseph's Tomb and other holy places in Samaria, as well as the IDF commanders who secured Tuesday's trip and others.

"I want to congratulate Minister Gila Gamliel and all of the government's ministers for drawing strength from Joseph the Righteous' tomb to strengthen the Jewish nation and the settlements," he said.

Watch the Hebrew video here:

השרה גילה גמליאל בקבר יוסף

In December, an IDF reserve unit made up of Samaria residents entered Joseph's Tomb for a military inspection, only to find that the site had been vandalized by local Arabs. Windows had been pulled out and broken, light fixtures had been destroyed, and more.

Later that month, Palestinian Authority Arab rioters paraded towards Joseph's Tomb in order to desecrate it, and threw burning tires at the site.