Israel has announced plans to bring the entire Bnei Menashe community from northeastern India to the country over the next four years, marking a significant expansion of a decades-long immigration effort involving one of the world's most distinctive Jewish communities.
Speaking at a ceremony in the northern Israeli city of Nof Hagalil honouring newly arrived immigrants, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the government intends to facilitate the relocation of all remaining members of the community.
"We are going to bring the entire community to Israel over the next four years," Netanyahu told attendees, describing the Bnei Menashe as an integral part of the Jewish people and welcoming them to what he called their ancestral homeland.
The event was attended by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer, and Nof Hagalil Mayor Ronen Plot.
According to Netanyahu's Office, around 600 members of the Bnei Menashe community have arrived in Israel since the beginning of the year, with another 600 expected by the end of 2026. The arrivals are part of a government-approved initiative aimed at relocating the approximately 6,000 remaining members of the community living in India.
Who Are the Bnei Menashe?
The Bnei Menashe are a community concentrated primarily in Manipur and Mizoram. They trace their ancestry to the biblical Tribe of Manasseh, one of the Ten Lost Tribes of ancient Israel that, according to tradition, disappeared following the Assyrian conquest of the Kingdom of Israel more than 2,700 years ago.
For generations, the community maintained customs that some members believed reflected ancient Israelite traditions. In the late twentieth century, growing contacts with Jewish organisations and Israeli authorities led many Bnei Menashe families to embrace mainstream Judaism and seek recognition as descendants of Israel.
Israeli religious authorities eventually recognised the community's historical claims sufficiently to permit immigration under special arrangements, though immigrants are generally required to undergo formal conversion procedures recognised by the Israeli rabbinate before completing their integration into Jewish religious life.
Thousands of Bnei Menashe have already settled in Israel over the past two decades, establishing communities in cities and towns across the country.
Understanding "Aliyah"
The immigration of Jews to Israel is commonly referred to as "Aliyah", a Hebrew term meaning "ascent" or "going up". In Jewish tradition, the word carries both a physical and spiritual significance, reflecting the idea of returning to the Land of Israel.
Aliyah has been a central concept in modern Zionism and Israeli statehood. Since Israel's establishment in 1948, successive governments have encouraged Jewish immigration from around the world, viewing it as both a national mission and a fulfilment of historical aspirations for a Jewish homeland.
For many Bnei Menashe families, Aliyah represents the culmination of a long-held dream of reconnecting with what they consider their ancestral roots.
New Absorption Centre Opens
As part of the latest immigration initiative, Israeli authorities this week inaugurated the Tavor Absorption Center in Nof Hagalil. The facility is designed to help newcomers adjust to life in Israel by providing Hebrew-language instruction, social services, and assistance with employment, education, and community integration.
Aliyah and Integration Minister Sofer described the arrivals as the realisation of a long-standing aspiration for many families and said the government was committed to helping immigrants establish stable lives in Israel.
The centre was opened in cooperation with the Jewish Agency for Israel, a key organisation involved in facilitating Jewish immigration and integration.
India-Israel Connection
Netanyahu also linked the initiative to the strengthening relationship between Israel and India, highlighting his ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Relations between the two countries have expanded significantly in recent years across trade, defence, technology, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges.
While the Bnei Menashe community represents only a small fraction of India's population, its migration to Israel has become a unique human bridge between the two nations.
If implemented as planned, the current initiative would bring virtually the entire remaining Bnei Menashe population in India to Israel by the end of the decade, concluding one of the most unusual and closely watched migration stories in the modern Jewish world.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
