Trending 
More than 250 Indians from the Bnei Menashe community, who claim descent from one of the biblical lost tribes of Israel, arrived at Tel Aviv airport on Thursday as part of a government-backed relocation programme to bring thousands of them to Israel.
The group was welcomed with celebration as they walked beneath a blue-and-white balloon arch reflecting the colours of the Israeli flag. Dozens of supporters greeted them with traditional Jewish songs, marking an emotional start to what officials describe as a historic immigration effort.
They are the first members of the Bnei Menashe community to arrive since the Israeli government approved funding in November for the immigration of around 4,600 people from Manipur, a state in northeast India.
The Bnei Menashe, meaning “Sons of Manasseh,” believe they are descendants of Manasseh, one of the ten lost tribes of Israel exiled in 720 BC by the Assyrians. Their oral history traces a long migration route through Persia, Afghanistan, Tibet and China, while maintaining certain Jewish customs such as circumcision.
In the 19th century, many members of the community were converted to Christianity by missionaries in India. However, in recent decades, growing numbers have sought recognition of their Jewish heritage and relocation to Israel.
Among those waiting at the airport was Dagan Zolat, who said he had come to reunite with a man he considers a brother after nine years apart.
“We were neighbours and among the only Jews in our village,” Zolat said. Recalling childhood memories, he added, “When my son was little in India, my friend often carried him in his arms.”
According to Shavei Israel, an organisation that supports descendants of lost Jewish tribes, around 4,000 Bnei Menashe have already moved to Israel since the 1990s, while roughly 7,000 remain in India.
Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer described the arrival as a “historic moment.”
“This is the beginning of an operation that will allow the entire community to immigrate, 1,200 per year,” he said.
The new arrivals are expected to settle in northern Israel and will undergo formal conversion before gaining citizenship.
Their relocation also comes as Manipur continues to face ethnic unrest, with years of clashes leaving more than 250 people dead.
