Israel has approved a plan to facilitate the immigration of all remaining members of the Bnei Menashe community from India’s northeast, including Manipur, over the next five years, a move hailed locally as “historic” for the tribal community with ancient Jewish roots.
According to the Jewish Agency for Israel, the decision, taken on November 23, will see around 5,800 people resettled by 2030, including 1,200 slated to move in 2026. The community traces its ancestry to the Menashe tribe, one of the ten “lost tribes” exiled by the Assyrians over 2,700 years ago, and has long maintained its Jewish faith and traditions in the hills of Manipur and neighboring Mizoram.
“This government decision reflects the shared responsibility of the state of Israel and the Jewish Agency for a national effort that is meaningful, values-driven, and deeply moving,” the agency said, emphasising that the initiative will include eligibility interviews, conversion programmes, Hebrew lessons, housing, and other support. A special budget of 90 million shekels ($27 million) has been allocated for the process.
The first phase will see a delegation of rabbis travel to India to interview around 3,000 Bnei Menashe who already have close relatives in Israel. Most of the newcomers are expected to settle in Nof Hagalil in northern Israel, a city near Nazareth that already hosts Bnei Menashe immigrants.
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The decision is particularly significant for Manipur, where the Bnei Menashe have preserved their unique faith and customs for centuries. Many community members already in Israel serve in the Israel Defence Forces, highlighting the deep connection with the Jewish homeland.
Debates over the Jewish identity of the Bnei Menashe have persisted for decades, but recognition came in 2005 when Rabbi Shlomo Amar of the Sephardi community confirmed them as “descendants of Israel,” opening the path for their Aliyah.
Around 2,500 community members already reside in Israel, and the new immigration will mark a culmination of years of preparation and hope for the community remaining in Manipur and the broader northeast.
The Jewish Agency will coordinate closely with Israel’s Chief Rabbinate, Conversion Authority, Population and Immigration Authority, Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to manage the resettlement.
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