In a powerful show of unity, Israel’s top ministers and lawmakers demand the immediate restoration of a permanent Jewish presence at Joseph’s Tomb, 25 years after its controversial withdrawal.
Jerusalem, July 17, 2025 — In a historic and unanimous surge, Israel’s political and security leadership has issued a resounding call to reclaim Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem (Nablus), demanding the restoration of Jewish sovereignty over the sacred site a quarter-century after it was relinquished under Palestinian pressure.
More than just a symbolic gesture, the joint declaration — signed by the majority of the Security Cabinet, government ministers, and coalition Knesset members — brands the 2000 withdrawal as a “historic national wound” and asserts that rectifying it is both a legal right and a moral imperative under the Oslo Accords.
“This is a national stain the State of Israel must erase,” the declaration states, invoking the legal framework that ensures Israel’s right to access and protect Jewish heritage sites in Judea and Samaria.
The initiative is backed by heavyweight ministers Yariv Levin, Bezalel Smotrich, Gila Gamliel, Itamar Ben Gvir, Miri Regev, and Ze’ev Elkin, marking one of the strongest alignments yet within the current coalition on any single issue.
🔁 The Turning Point
Joseph’s Tomb — the burial site of the biblical patriarch and a flashpoint of Jewish heritage — was vacated on October 7, 2000, during the early days of the Second Intifada. Originally described as a temporary tactical withdrawal, the exit quickly became permanent, symbolizing the erosion of Israeli control in key strategic areas.
Now, with support surging and an operational plan on the table, the tide may be turning.
📜 The New Plan
A high-level session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is set to review a detailed plan prepared by the IDF, aimed at reinstating a continuous Jewish presence at the tomb — including the restoration of the historic yeshiva that once thrived there.
The campaign has been energized by Rabbi David Ben Natan, whose son Shuval Ben Natan, an IDF soldier, fell in combat. Rabbi Ben Natan’s efforts have galvanized public and political backing, joined by Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan and MK Zvi Succot, who together mobilized a coalition of settler leaders and local activists.
“This is a moment of truth,” said Dagan. “The people demand a historical correction. After 25 years, we are closer than ever to restoring sovereignty to Joseph’s Tomb.”
Succot added, “The total alignment of coalition members, ministers, and security officials is a watershed moment. Tomorrow we will see the plan. I am committed to its full implementation.
