Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally welcomed 650 new immigrants from the Bnei Menashe community at Nof HaGalil on Thursday, drawing renewed attention to the long-standing migration links between Northeast India and Israel. The development comes amid ongoing global scrutiny of Netanyahu’s leadership during the war in Gaza.
The group includes individuals from India’s northeastern states of Mizoram and Manipur, who arrived in Israel over the past month under Operation “Wings of Dawn,” a government initiative aimed at facilitating the immigration of Bnei Menashe families.
The Bnei Menashe community traces its origins to the biblical Tribe of Menashe, one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. Over the past two decades, thousands from Mizoram and Manipur have migrated to Israel under the country’s Law of Return, with many now integrated into Israeli society and various settlements.
Addressing the new arrivals, Netanyahu described their arrival as a “homecoming” and emphasized the significance of aliyah, or Jewish immigration to Israel, in strengthening national development and security, particularly in the northern regions of the country.
The event highlights the continued cultural and historical ties between the Bnei Menashe community in Northeast India and Israel, as well as the ongoing efforts to bring remaining eligible families to the country under organized immigration programs.
