Joseph’s Tomb is in Shechem near Nablus and is traditionally considered to be the burial place of the Biblical patriarch Joseph. Joseph's body was taken from Egypt during the Exodus and later reinterred in Shechem. Some archeologists believe that the site is only a few centuries old and may contain the remains of a Muslim sheikh named Yossef and not the patriarch Joseph.

Destruction of the tomb

Following the 1967 War, Israel regained access to the site and a small Jewish seminary was built there in the 1980's. The site was also used as a military outpost, and a number of soldiers were stationed there to protect the seminary students and the site itself. Shechem was handed over to the Palestinians in 1995, but the Israelis retained control over the site.

When violent clashes between Israelis and Palestinians began in the West Bank in October 2000, six Palestinians and one Israeli were killed in fighting around the tomb. The Israeli army subsequently agreed to withdraw on October 7 and turn over control of the site to the Palestinian police, who were supposed to guard it. Instead, the Palestinian Police stood by as a mob ransacked the site, burned holy books and destroyed reading stands; the mob also burned down the army outpost. On that same day, an American-born rabbi, who taught at the seminary, was found murdered outside Shechem.

The Mayor of Nablus (the Arab name of Shechem), Ghassan Shakaa, said that the site would be repaired. Workers were seen fixing the damage, however, they were also painting the top of the dome green - the color of Islam. Workers say that they want to return the shrine to its former appearance before 1967, but news reports indicated the Palestinians were planning to build a mosque on the spot.

For Israelis, the destruction of a Jewish shrine raised serious doubts as to whether the Palestinian Authority would protect religious sites belonging to Jews and Christians and guarantee access to them. Israel guarantees access to all holy places under their control according to 1967 Law for the protection of the holy places.

Destruction of the grave covering

In the weeks prior to 23 Feb 2003 (when the incident was first reported), Palestians returned to the site and destroyed the carved stone covering of the grave.

The continued desecration of the site by Palestinians and the Israel's banning of Jews from the site is a source of ongoing frustration and increasing anger amongst Jews in particular the right wing Kahanists.