Eighth candle at Joseph's Tomb
Eighth candle at Joseph's TombSamaria Regional Council

Two thousand IDF soldiers and civilians attended a special Hanukkah candle lighting ceremony at Joseph's Tomb in Shechem (Nablus) on Sunday night, marking the end of the eight-day holiday with light and togetherness. Judea-Samaria Brigade Commander Lior Carmeli lit the candles. 

Among the attendees were Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, Samaria Regional Council Deputy Chief Davidi Ben-Tzion, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto of the Shuvu Yisrael sect, Rabbi Yisrael Abargel, Judea-Samaria Brigade Commander Maj. Gen. Shay Kalfer, Deputy Brigade Commander Hezi Nehemia, and other top military officials in the region. 

The Samaria Regional Council arranged the ceremony in conjunction with the IDF and security officials, as part of an ongoing effort to ensure the Tomb remains in Israeli hands. 

"We came here along with thousands of Jews, from Israel and abroad to light the eighth Hanukkah candle at this place with the Judea and Samaria Division Commander," Dagan stated. "Our task is to add more light and this light pushes away the darkness."

"I hope that next year when we come to light a candle with IDF officials and Jews around the world, it will be in a place with full Israeli sovereignty as befits a holy place like Joseph's Tomb," he added.