Breslov Hasidim Barricade Themselves in Joseph's Tomb: "We Came to Die for the Tzadik"
The group reportedly traveled to the site in order to pray the morning Shacharit service and said their goal was to “restore Jewish control over the place.” More than 100 worshippers were believed to have entered the city carrying tefillin and prayer items.
Dozens of Breslov Hasidim from the Shuvu Banim community in Jerusalem entered the area of Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem on Tuesday morning without prior coordination with the IDF or Israeli security forces.
The group reportedly traveled to the site in order to pray the morning Shacharit service and said their goal was to “restore Jewish control over the place.” More than 100 worshippers were believed to have entered the city carrying tefillin and prayer items.
Joseph’s Tomb, located in the heart of the city of Shechem, lies within Area A of Judea and Samaria, where Israeli civilians are generally prohibited from entering without military coordination due to security risks.
IDF forces were dispatched to the area to remove the worshippers from the site. According to Israeli officials, once the group is evacuated from the city they are expected to be handed over to Israeli police for further handling.
The military reiterated that entry by Israeli civilians into Area A is both illegal and dangerous.
“We emphasize that entry of Israeli citizens into Area A is dangerous and prohibited by law,” the IDF said.
Similar incidents have occurred in the past involving Breslov groups attempting to reach the site without authorization.
In December 2025, a group of Breslov followers also entered Shechem without coordination in order to pray at Joseph’s Tomb. During that incident, the group arrived in private vehicles and left the area quickly after Palestinian Authority security forces became involved.
According to reports from that event, one of the vehicles struck and injured an Arab man while leaving the area at high speed. The injured man was evacuated to a hospital for treatment.
Several members of the group were later detained by Israeli forces and transferred to police custody, while the vehicle involved in the incident was seized and handed over to the Civil Administration.
Joseph’s Tomb is one of Judaism’s traditional holy sites and has long been a focal point of tension. Organized prayer visits are sometimes coordinated with Israeli security forces, but unauthorized entries into the Palestinian Authority-controlled city have repeatedly triggered security incidents in the past.