Former Israeli Soldier Agam Berger Storms Yousef’s Tomb in Occupied Nablus with Settlers
Occupied West Bank (Quds News Network)- Israeli soldier Agam Berger, who has been recently released in the exchange deal between the resistance and the occupation state, stormed Yousef’s Tomb in occupied Nablus. She was accompanied by Israeli soldiers and settler leader Yossi Dagan. Dagan has previously called for the ethnic cleansing and resettlement of Gaza.
Berger, recently released from imprisonment in a prisoner exchange, stormed the site under heavy military protection. Her mother, Merav Berger, joined her.
Western media has portrayed Berger as a young woman with a passion for music and social work. Reports have described her as “a talented violinist who has been playing since the fourth grade.” She has also been presented as someone who “volunteers with people who have special needs and with children with learning difficulties.”
Who Is Buried in Yousef’s Tomb?
Yousef’s Tomb is located in the Palestinian city of Nablus. Israel occupied the grave in 1967 and turned it into a religious and military outpost. While Israeli authorities claim it is the burial place of the biblical Joseph, historians and archaeologists dispute this.
Historical research indicates that the tomb is a relatively modern structure from the Ottoman era, built in 1904 to honor a local religious figure named Sheikh Yousef Dweikat. He was a respected Islamic scholar who taught in the area. After his death, the Ottoman authorities commemorated him by constructing a shrine in his name. The site became a place of worship for Palestinian villagers, particularly Sufi groups, who performed religious rituals there, including newborn circumcision ceremonies in his honor.
Yousef’s Tomb is an Islamic heritage site officially registered with the Islamic Waqf. Before the Israeli occupation, it was a mosque and a place of Muslim prayer.
European historians who have studied the biblical narrative argue that if Joseph had indeed served as Pharaoh’s right-hand man in Egypt, he would have been buried there. Even some Israeli historians agree with this analysis.
Father Atallah Hanna, spokesperson for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, has also dismissed Israeli claims. He stated, “The tomb of Prophet Joseph is in Egypt. All historical and scientific research confirms this.”
Despite overwhelming evidence contradicting Israeli claims, Israeli forces continue to allow settlers to storm the site under military protection. Palestinians fear that Israel aims to replicate its takeover of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron by establishing a permanent settlement around Yousef’s Tomb.
