(ISRAEL) Israel has approved what officials are calling the world’s largest and most organized immigration drive for the Bnei Menashe community, a group of Jews from northeast India who say they trace their roots to an ancient lost tribe. On November 24, 2025, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet backed a plan to bring all remaining approximately 5,800 Bnei Menashe from India to Israel by 2030, in what will be the biggest single aliyah program ever created for this community.
Under the plan, the first 1,200 people are expected to arrive by the end of 2026, with the remaining 4,600 scheduled to follow in stages over the next several years. The government frames the move as both a historic promise to a long‑separated Jewish group and a practical step to reunite families already split between India and Israel. About 2,500 Bnei Menashe already live in Israel, many of them young adults serving in combat roles in the Israel Defense Forces.
Background: Who are the Bnei Menashe?
The decision marks a major new phase in the long‑running story of the Bnei Menashe, who come mainly from the Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram. For decades, rabbis, scholars, and officials debated their claims of descent from the ancient tribe of Menashe, one of the so‑called “ten lost tribes” exiled nearly 2,700 years ago by the Assyrian empire.
In 2005, Rabbi Shlomo Amar, then the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, recognized them as “descendants of Israel,” opening the door to organized aliyah once they completed Orthodox conversion.
Scale, cost, and objectives
What makes this latest plan stand out is its scale and the degree of state involvement.
- The government estimates the operation will cost 90 million shekels (about USD 27 million).
- Funds are allocated to cover:
- Flights from India
- Housing
- Orthodox conversion programs
- Hebrew language classes
- Social support for new arrivals
Officials say several ministries are working together to keep the process orderly and lawful, with particular attention to family reunification, a sensitive issue for families split between continents.
The government presents the move as a matter of national importance — both a homeland role for Israel and a way to reunite families who have waited for years.
Roles and responsibilities
For the first time, the Jewish Agency for Israel will manage the entire operation from start to finish.
- Responsibilities assigned to the Jewish Agency:
- Eligibility interviews in India
- Cooperation with Israel’s Chief Rabbinate and Conversion Authority
- Booking flights
- Arranging temporary and long‑term housing after arrival
This central role is intended to avoid gaps between religious procedures, immigration paperwork, and the day‑to‑day needs of new immigrants once they reach Israel.
Where will they settle?
Unlike earlier waves often settled in West Bank communities, the new plan focuses mainly on northern Israel within internationally recognized borders.
- Primary settlement locations:
- Nof HaGalil (formerly Nazareth Illit), a mixed Jewish‑Arab city near Nazareth
- Other towns in the Galilee
Officials say this reflects security considerations and a desire to place new immigrants in areas with existing services, schools, and job options rather than directing them to already tense regions.
Religious process and conversion
Once in Israel, new arrivals will go through Orthodox conversion under the authority of the Chief Rabbinate.
- For many Bnei Menashe, conversion is viewed as formal recognition of beliefs and practices maintained in India.
- After conversion, they will be eligible for full immigrant status under Israel’s aliyah system, receiving help with housing, language, and work.
The interview and selection process
An important practical step will be an expanded rabbinical delegation to India.
- Expected activity in the first stage:
- Interview around 3,000 Bnei Menashe community members
- Prioritize those with close relatives already living in Israel
- Purpose of interviews:
- Confirm eligibility
- Clarify family ties
- Prepare people for conversion and aliyah procedures
Community activists say many families welcome a large organized mission that lets them move together rather than in small, scattered batches.
Political, diplomatic, and public reactions
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the plan signals that Israel is ready to invest heavily in bringing groups with long‑standing historical and cultural ties, even when debates exist over status. The analysis notes that:
- The Bnei Menashe case blends religious, historical, and political elements.
- Giving the Jewish Agency full control may streamline future mass immigration operations.
There is also an international angle: Israeli and Indian officials have highlighted the Bnei Menashe story as an example of long cultural links between the two countries. The transfer will be coordinated with Indian authorities, who previously allowed Bnei Menashe emigration.
Supporters say the program can strengthen ties between 🇮🇳 India and 🇮🇱 Israel at a time when both countries aim to deepen trade, security cooperation, and tourism.
Integration challenges and government support
Inside Israel, the move will test the capacity of local governments and social services in the north.
- Local needs include:
- Hebrew language instruction and integration support
- Schooling for children
- Employment assistance for adults
- Support for elderly migrants
The government has promised Hebrew classes and integration support, and ministries involved say they are adopting lessons from earlier aliyah waves by emphasizing language training and job preparation from the start.
Past experience shows early help with housing and employment can shape long‑term outcomes for immigrant communities.
Conditions in India and motives to emigrate
For Bnei Menashe remaining in India, daily life is often marked by regional conflict and limited economic opportunities. States such as Manipur have faced ethnic clashes and unrest that have affected the community.
- Community motivations to move include:
- Desire to reunite with family in Israel
- Seeking safer environments for children
- Escaping instability and economic limits
The new plan’s clear numbers and dates provide predictability for families who have waited years for approval to leave.
Debates and concerns within Israel
The large‑scale immigration drive raises familiar questions about resources, housing costs, and social gaps.
- Supporters’ view:
- Past aliyah waves (from Ethiopia, the former Soviet Union, etc.) show large numbers can be absorbed over time.
- Critics’ concerns:
- Risk that new arrivals may be directed into low‑wage jobs
- Potential pressures on local services and housing markets
Government ministries involved in the plan say they aim to avoid repeating past mistakes by strengthening language training and job preparation from the outset.
Official information and support resources
Official information on aliyah rules and support — including special programs like this one — is published by the Israeli Ministry of Aliyah and Integration. The ministry explains benefits such as rent assistance, language courses, and employment help on its English‑language website at Ministry of Aliyah and Integration.
While the Bnei Menashe plan has its own structure and funding, it will be integrated into the broader system of immigrant services run by the ministry, city governments, and local non‑profits.
International support and future priorities
Jewish groups abroad have long supported Bnei Menashe education in India and resettlement in Israel. With the Israeli government now committing to bring all remaining 5,800 by 2030, these organizations are expected to shift focus from lobbying for permission to immigrate toward:
- Helping families adjust after arrival
- Providing education and social support in Israel
- Funding community integration programs
What this means for families and for Israel
For individual Bnei Menashe families, the announcement turns a long‑held hope into a concrete timetable.
- If required religious and administrative steps are completed and travel conditions permit:
- Families have a reasonable chance to join relatives in Israel within the next few years.
For Israel, the plan adds another chapter to its history of bringing diverse Jewish communities — from Yemen, Morocco, Ethiopia, the former Soviet Union, and elsewhere — into a small country whose identity continues to evolve with each new wave of immigrants.
Israel approved a cabinet-backed plan to bring roughly 5,800 Bnei Menashe from India by 2030. The Jewish Agency will manage interviews, Orthodox conversions, flights, housing, and integration services. The first 1,200 are due by late 2026. The government allocated 90 million shekels for language classes, social support, and housing. Settlements will focus on northern Israel, prioritizing family reunification while addressing employment and schooling needs for new arrivals.
