The renewed daytime prayers are part of what organizers described as a broader campaign to restore a continuous Jewish presence at the site and eventually return the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva to the compound.By Pesach Benson, TPSThousands of Jewish worshippers entered Joseph’s Tomb in the city of Shechem (Nablus) overnight and into Wednesday morning as Israeli officials and Judea and Samaria community leaders renewed calls for a permanent Jewish presence at the holy site in northern Samaria.The visit marked the first large-scale daytime entry by organized buses since the Second Intifada, following authorization by Defense Minister Israel Katz.According to organizers, approximately 5,000 people visited the site overnight.Hundreds remained for morning prayers held Wednesday at the tomb complex, traditionally identified as the burial place of the biblical Joseph.Among those attending were Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot, rabbis affiliated with the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva, and students from several Judea and Samaria yeshivot.“Our presence here at Joseph’s Tomb, in broad daylight, is a clear statement: the people of Israel are returning home to all parts of their land,” Smotrich said during the visit.“Joseph’s Tomb is living testimony to the inseparable bond between the people of Israel and their land,” he added.“We are working and will continue to work so that the Jewish presence here becomes permanent.”דבריהם של השר סמוטריץ׳, ראש מועצת שומרון יוסי דגן, וח״כ צבי סוכות, בקריאה להשיב נוכחות יהודית מלאה לקבר יוסף. pic.twitter.com/mNZryReAj0— מה חדש. What's new (@Gloz111) May 13, 2026 For years, coordinated visits to the site had taken place almost exclusively at night under heavy military escort.In January, Jewish worshippers held a more limited daylight prayer service at the tomb, the first in 25 years.Joseph’s Tomb is traditionally identified as the burial place of the biblical Joseph, son of the biblical patriarch Jacob.Shechem is located in Area A under the administrative and security jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.However, under the Oslo Accords, Israeli forces were allowed to remain at the holy site. In 2000, Israel abandoned the grave after Palestinian rioters stormed the compound.A Border Police officer later died after being shot during the clashes when rescue forces were unable to reach him.The tomb has been desecrated and refurbished several times, most recently in 2022.The renewed daytime prayers are part of what organizers described as a broader campaign to restore a continuous Jewish presence at the site and eventually return the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva to the compound.Dagan called Wednesday’s prayers “a historic morning.”“Our goal is clear — the full and permanent return of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva to its natural place, and for the Israeli flag to fly over Joseph’s Tomb,” he said.Sukkot, who heads the Knesset lobby for Joseph’s Tomb, held a halaka ceremony for his son, marking a boy’s first haircut at the age of three.**מזל טוב** ח"כ צבי סוכות בחאלקה לבנו הבוקר בקבר יוסף בשכם. ראש ישיבת עוד יוסף חי הרב יצחק שפירא ברך את הילד והאב בברכת כהנים. pic.twitter.com/l3dP0SyIEr— מה חדש. What's new (@Gloz111) May 13, 2026 Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, head of the Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva, expressed hope that worshippers would soon “return and be permanently at Joseph’s Tomb.”The yeshiva operated at the site until its evacuation during the outbreak of Palestinian violence in 2000.The post Thousands visit Joseph’s Tomb as Israeli leaders push for permanent Jewish presence appeared first on World Israel News.