Israel Launches Largest Immigration Drive to Bring Back Jewish Community from India

Tel Aviv, 27 Nov 2025: In a historic move, the Israeli government has approved a comprehensive plan to bring back nearly 5,800 members of the Bnei Menashe community from northeastern India over the next five years. This initiative marks the largest and most organized immigration effort for the community in history.

The Bnei Menashe, whose roots trace back around 2,700 years to the ancient tribe of Menashe, migrated from Israel centuries ago following persecution and atrocities against Jewish people. Many generations later, this community has preserved its Jewish identity in India, though its heritage has often been debated.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has authorized the plan as part of its broader goal to complete the Bnei Menashe Aliyah by 2030. Of the 5,800 members to be relocated, 1,200 have already been approved for immigration in 2026.

For the first time, the Jewish Agency will oversee the entire process, including eligibility interviews, coordination with Israel’s Chief Rabbinate and Conversion Authority, flight arrangements, and complete resettlement support upon arrival. The initiative is estimated to cost around 90 million shekels (approximately $27 million), covering flights, conversion classes, housing, Hebrew language instruction, and other necessary assistance.

A senior delegation of rabbis will soon visit India to interview roughly 3,000 community members in the first phase, prioritizing those with close relatives already living in Israel. While earlier arrivals were settled in the West Bank, the new immigrants will primarily be resettled in northern Israel, near Nazareth in the city of Nof HaGalil.

The Bnei Menashe community already has about 2,500 members residing in Israel, with many of the younger generation serving in combat units of the Israeli Defense Forces. The Jewish Agency described this step as a matter of national importance, emphasizing that collaboration with the Israeli government will ensure a smooth and legally sound immigration process.