Jerusalem: Israel’s government has approved a proposal to bring all the remaining 5,800 members of the Bnei Menashe community from India’s north-eastern region to Israel over the next five years.
The Government of Israel on Sunday endorsed a “significant, wide-scale initiative” to complete the Aliyah (immigration) of the Bnei Menashe community, according to the Jewish Agency for Israel. “This historic decision will bring approximately 5,800 members of the community to Israel by 2030, including 1,200 already approved for 2026,” the agency said.
For the first time, the Jewish Agency will lead the entire pre-immigration process, including eligibility interviews in coordination with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, the Conversion Authority, and the Population and Immigration Authority. The agency will also organise flights for eligible candidates and manage their absorption into Israeli society.
The initiative is expected to require a special budget of 90 million shekels (USD 27 million) to cover flights, conversion classes, housing, Hebrew lessons, and other benefits. The plan was presented to the cabinet by Immigration and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer.
A professional and expanded delegation of rabbis is expected to travel to India in the coming days. “It will be the largest delegation sent to date and the first in more than a decade. The delegation will interview the first half of the community, about 3,000 Bnei Menashe who have first-degree relatives in Israel,” the announcement read.
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The process will be managed by the Jewish Agency in coordination with the Chief Rabbinate, the Conversion Authority, the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Population and Immigration Authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and additional government ministries.
Historically, the initial immigrants from the community were resettled in the West Bank. More recently, they have been sent to towns in northern Israel, with Nof Hagalil – a mixed Jewish-Arab city near Nazareth – becoming a primary destination. The thousands scheduled to arrive over the next few years will also be settled there.
“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. Our extensive professional involvement in planning, preparation, transport, and absorption is central to ensuring the success of this initiative,” the agency said.
The Jewishness of the Bnei Menashe community has been debated in the past, but in 2005, the then Chief Rabbi of the Sephardi community, Rabbi Shlomo Amar, recognised them as “descendants of Israel,” paving the way for their immigration. The community traces its lineage to the Menashe tribe, one of the ten tribes exiled by the Assyrians around 2,700 years ago.
Currently, around 2,500 Bnei Menashe live in Israel, with many youngsters serving in combat units of the Israel Defence Forces. The Jewish Agency, an Israel-based international organisation, works to strengthen Israel and the Jewish people worldwide, promoting Aliyah as a core value.
With PTI inputs