A weekly prayer service led by bereaved families at the entrance to Shechem near IDF Training Base 3 was interrupted by soldiers last Friday when tear gas grenades were fired at the worshippers. This incident marks a rare and violent disruption of a prayer that has been held every week for the past three months without any prior conflict.
The service, organized by families who lost sons in the war and calling for the retaking of Joseph's Tomb in Shechem, has been a tradition every Friday afternoon. MK Tzvi Succot (Religious Zionist Party), Chairman of the Knesset Subcommittee on Judea and Samaria, was present at the request of the bereaved families. Following the incident, Succot demanded that the officer responsible for ordering the grenade firing be removed immediately, describing the actions as both illegal and violent.
"For half a year now, every Friday, a fixed afternoon prayer has taken place at the entrance to Shechem," Succot wrote in his statement. "Bereaved families who lost their sons in the war organize the prayer. The event has always been peaceful and without confrontation," he explained, highlighting that the road had been closed to Arab traffic since the start of the war to prevent disturbances.
Succot further detailed that the gathering typically consists of a prayer, a small dance, and the peaceful dispersal of attendees, with soldiers usually joining the prayer. However, this week's service was disrupted when an officer arrived mid-prayer and demanded the immediate evacuation of the area. Succot recounted that, despite the policeman's plea to wait for the prayer to conclude, the officer insisted on immediate dispersal, threatening to use crowd control measures if the group did not leave.
According to Succot, before anyone could react, the officer ordered soldiers to fire tear gas grenades at the worshippers. Succot also claimed that when he tried to film the incident, the officer attempted to violently seize his phone.
"This represents an illegal, improper, and problematic decision," Succot criticized. "You do not shoot at Jews who are praying, especially when there is no reason to do so." He called for the immediate removal of the officer, asserting that "a person whose actions indicate his hatred for settlers should not be commanding soldiers."
The IDF, in a statement following the incident, explained that a group of Israelis had attempted to enter the Palestinian city of Shechem from multiple points, violating public order and endangering both themselves and the security forces. According to the military, IDF and police forces acted to disperse the disturbance using crowd control munitions, and all civilians present were evacuated from the area.
