UKHRUL: Around 250 members of the Bnei Menashe community from Manipur arrived in Israel on April 23 under an ongoing immigration programme backed by the Israeli government.
Israeli Minister Ofir Sofer received the group at the airport, describing the development as part of continued efforts to bring members of the community to Israel.
The Bnei Menashe, largely from Manipur and Mizoram, claim ancestry from the biblical tribe of Manasseh, one of the “Lost Tribes of Israel.” Their migration has taken place in phases over the years, facilitated by organisations such as Shavei Israel.
Media reports said the arrivals were welcomed by community members and relatives already settled in Israel. Several expressed emotion on reaching what they consider their ancestral homeland.
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Reports indicated that more members of the community are expected to be brought to Israel in the coming years. Estimates suggest several thousand Bnei Menashe still remain in India awaiting relocation.
The new arrivals are expected to be settled in northern Israel and will undergo formal religious processes before being granted full citizenship.