This is how we liberated Joseph's tomb on Shvi'i Shel Pesach- in Operation Defensive Shield

On Passover 2002, the Yiftach Brigade (576th Armored Brigade) participated in Operation Defensive Shield in the occupation of the city of Nablus, together with the Golani Brigade and the Paratroopers (the operation began on Seder night, after the horrific terror attack on the Park Hotel in Netanya) and lasted about a month and a half). The operation was intended to stop the wave of suicide and terrorist attacks that lasted about a year and a half and resulted in the deaths of more than a thousand citizens of the State of Israel. During it, almost all cities in Judea and Samaria were reoccupied. The city of Nablus was considered the terrorist capital of Judea and Samaria where thousands of gunmen gathered, and thousands of deadly explosives were buried in its streets.

During the operation I served as the deputy commander of the brigade. In the initial command group in the division, even before the operation began, the brigade commander presented the brigade order. Within the definition of the brigade's mission of taking over the eastern part of Nablus, the brigade commander also included the occupation of "Joseph's Tomb." The division commander marked to the brigadier general that this mission was not included in the divisional "order"! The brigadier general replied that although he is not a religious person, "Joseph's tomb" has a national value, it is a Jewish symbol, and according to the agreements it was supposed to be under Israeli sovereignty. The IDF evacuated it (in the events of September 2000) after a battle, and therefore it was inconceivable that we would not include it in the operation, which was supposed to restore the situation to its former state!

On the evening of Shvi'i Shel Pesach, the battle for the conquest of Nablus and Joseph's tomb began. Our brigade entered Nablus from two sides, and at the same time entered the Paratroopers Brigade and the Golani Brigade. In the Nablus Valley, where the historical split began among the people of Israel ('the sale of Joseph' and later in the division of the kingdom of Rehoboam by Jeroboam), soldiers from all sectors of the Israeli society fought side by side, in unity and brotherhood for a single just cause, to harm the striking terror infrastructure hitting our streets.

The fighting was hard. Almost every few meters there was an obstacle, or an explosive device. The explosion of the tank shells was heard in the streets and the fire of the exploding explosives rose to the skies. Despite the difficulty, in about five and a half hours of fighting, ב'ה the battle was determined, and the brigade forces completed the mission, including the siege of the "Tomb of Joseph" compound. Almost no casualties (we had one wounded by double-sided gunfire between a tank and an Golani APC- Armoured personnel carrier).

We had no information about what was going on inside the tomb compound. There was concern that the entrances were trapped. When we arrived at the compound, the fire in the streets had already subsided, but it was necessary to wait for the Bomb squad to scan thoroughly for fear of traps.

The street where the compound is located is controlled by tall houses on all sides. There was a risk that snipers would be placed in the houses to hit anyone approaching the compound. We conducted a secure combat pattern inside the compound's street, the tanks secured the passages and watched the houses on the street.  

Standing in front of the Joseph's Tomb compound, one of the fathers of the Israeli nation, at the head of an Israeli military unit, of his descendants, caused great excitement, kind of an electric atmosphere. A thought of, perhaps many generations ago one of my ancestors trampled his feet here from afar to pray at the tomb of Joseph HaTzadik.

After the scan, we opened the gate and entered the compound with great excitement, the electrical systems worked, and bright lighting came on. The compound was renovated and painted a light color, the tomb itself was covered with marble. The entrance to the compound was extremely exciting. It resembled to some extent the moving images of the liberation of the Western Wall during the Six Day War. The excitement was shared by all of us, religious and non-religious, right-wing and leftists, new immigrants, and veterans!

Great excitement, for carrying out the mission successfully and for the great privilege of being the ones who liberated the "Tomb of Joseph" a place with special meaning. We felt that we had the merit to 'close the circle'. At a moment like this, sentences like "We returned to the land of our fathers" came up, and

"Your children shall return to their country"…  וְשָׁ֥בוּ בָנִ֖ים לִגְבוּלָֽם׃

There is a special connection between Passover and Joseph HaTzadik. For from him began the descent into Egypt and from the power of preparation he made in Egypt also came the power of the Exodus from Egypt. Therefore, on the night of the Exodus from Egypt, Moshe deals with finding Joseph's bones to bring him up with them from Egypt:

וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־עַצְמ֥וֹת יוֹסֵ֖ף עִמּ֑וֹ ...

"And Moshe took with him the bones of Joseph…" (Shmot 13:19).

There is a special connection between Joseph HaTzadik and Shvi'i Shel Pesach, as he merited the splitting of the Red Sea. In "The Song of the Red Sea" it is written הַיָּ֣ם רָ֭אָה וַיָּנֹ֑ס "The sea saw them and fled". Sages taught us that the sea "saw" Joseph's coffin and therefore "fled".

After a short prayer, and Psalms, the commanders concentrated on receiving instructions to continue - from there we returned to the urgent security activities we were required to.

The operation achieved its goal. A strategic turning point was created. The IDF regained control of the area, and eventually defeated terrorism.

Unfortunately, to this day, the tomb compound is not under full IDF control, and a large part of the public is frustrated and sure that there was a historic miss due to political considerations. However, from time to time, groups are organized for prayer in the compound, under the IDF protection.

The impression of this event will be etched in our memory. Forever.