Under heavy Israeli army security, Orthodox Jews pray at Joseph's Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus, Apr. 3, 2017. (Photo/JTA-Gershon Elinson-FLASH90) News Israel 2 Jews shot and wounded while trying to visit Joseph’s Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus Facebook Twitter Email SMS WhatsApp Share By Shira Hanau, JTA | April 11, 2022 Two Hasidic Jews were shot and wounded on Monday while trying to visit Joseph’s Tomb, a shrine in the West Bank city of Nablus believed by some to be the burial site of Joseph, the son of the biblical patriarch Jacob. The two men did not coordinate their visit with Israel’s army, which typically escorts groups to the site a few times a year, according to Israeli media. The shooting came one day after the shrine became the site of a riot when a group of about 100 Palestinians vandalized the site and set parts of the shrine on fire. The shrine, which is also considered to be holy by Muslim and Christian worshippers, has been the site of clashes between Israelis and Palestinians several times in recent years. Israel is currently experiencing a wave of violence ahead of the convergence of the holidays of Ramadan, Passover and Easter next week. Three Israelis were killed by a gunman in Tel Aviv Thursday and terrorists, some identified with the Islamic State group, killed 11 people within Israel’s 1967 borders over the course of a week last month. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett condemned the vandalism in Nablus at a government meeting Sunday and said he was “shocked” by photos of the damage. “During the night Palestinians destroyed Joseph’s Tomb. Dozens of Palestinian rioters in a campaign of destruction simply violated a holy place for us, the Jews,” Bennett said, according to The Times of Israel. Shira Hanau Shira Hanau is a reporter at JTA. She was previously a staff writer at the New York Jewish Week and has written for the Forward, Columbia Journalism Review and the Harvard Divinity Bulletin. JTA Content distributed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency news service. Also On J. Bay Area Ethnic studies debate comes to UC system Opinion Jewish leaders have failed to make space for Jews of color Film Sonoma Israeli Film Festival spotlights healing power of art Film Mayim Bialik assembles a very Jewish cast in her directorial debut Subscribe to our Newsletter Enter Email Sign Up