With the expansion of the IDF military operation in Nablus, more than fifteen mayors and council heads in Judea and Samaria joined the rabbis' appeal to the Israeli government this week, demanding the restoration of permanent Jewish presence at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, as a step that would benefit security and is possible also under the Oslo Accords. The struggle is being led by bereaved father, Rabbi David Ben Natan, head of the Samaria Council, Yossi Dagan, and former Knesset member, Tzvi Sukkot. "We join the call of the rabbis to underscore the demand that the city of Nablus and Joseph’s Tomb have been the inheritance of the Jewish People since time immemorial," the heads of the councils emphasized. “This is where The Holy One, blessed be He, promised Abraham our father, 'To your descendants I will give this land . ' This is where Jacob our Forefather bought a plot in the field and built an altar to God. This is where Joshua the son of Nun fulfilled the blessing and the curse, and the people of Israel became responsible for each other, and this is where Joseph the righteous was buried,” they added. They demanded that the Israeli government return Joseph's Tomb to full Jewish rule, return the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva to its original location in the Joseph's Tomb compound, and allow the general public to visit and pray at Joseph's Tomb on a regular basis. דוד בר נתן עם יוסי דגן וצבי סוכות צילום: דוברות מועצת שומרון The letter was signed by head of the Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan, head of the Yesha and Binyamin Regional Councils Israel Ganz, head of the Mount Hebron Council Eliram Azoulay, head of the Gush Etzion Council Yaron Rosenthal, Mayor of Ariel Yair Chetboun, head of the Jewish Community in Hebron Eyal Gelman, head of the Efrat Council Dubi Scheffler, head of the Beit El Council Shai Alon, head of the Emanuel Council Eli Gafni, head of the Kedumim council Ozel Vatik, head of the Alfei Menashe council Shai Rosenzweig, mayor of Ma'ale Adumim Guy Yifrach, head of the Givat Ze'ev council Yossi Asraf, Karnei Shomron mayor Yonatan Kuznitz, head of the Elkana Council Assaf Mintzer, and Beit Aryeh-Ofarim council head Sharon Alfasi. Head of the Samaria Council Yossi Dagan concluded: "I thank the heads of the councils who clearly laid out the obvious demand to return to Joseph's Tomb. This demand is moral and just, and the time has come to fulfill it. The State of Israel abandoned Joseph's Tomb as a step to escape from terrorism, while abandoning Madhat Yosef OBM, and now it is our responsibility to correct the injustice." The head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council Israel Ganz added: "The return of the yeshiva to Joseph's Tomb is not only a religious matter, but a step of historical justice. Joseph's Tomb is a symbol of the Jewish People’s deep connection to the Land of Israel, and in particular to Shechem (Nablus) – a city central to our national heritage. This is a moral and national imperative – to return to our holy places and ensure the basic right of every Jew to pray there." מכתב ראשי המועצות צילום: ללא
