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.
