B'nei Menashe Community Members Arrive in Israel Under Operation Wings of Dawn
On Friday, approximately 250 individuals from the B’nei Menashe community, hailing from Manipur and Mizoram, arrived in Israel as part of the initiative known as 'Operation Wings of Dawn.' This community, which numbers around 10,000 in India, received approval from the Israeli government last year for their immigration. The B’nei Menashe regard themselves as descendants of one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, specifically from the biblical figure Manasseh, whose descendants were scattered nearly 3,000 years ago. Although they are not classified as Jewish under Israel’s Law of Return, they were acknowledged as the 'seed of Israel' by former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar in 2005. Reports indicate that since the 1990s, about 4,000 B’nei Menashe have relocated to Israel, while approximately 7,000 remain in India, according to the Shavei Israel organization, which assists in tracing the descendants of the Lost Tribes and facilitates their immigration.
The B’nei Menashe are believed to be descendants of the biblical tribe of Manasseh, which was exiled in 722 BC by the Assyrian Empire, although this claim lacks concrete evidence. In Manipur, they are categorized as part of the Kuki ethnic group, speaking languages from the Tibeto-Burman family, with anthropological studies tracing their origins to present-day China. Most members of the Kuki community converted to Christianity in the early 20th century due to the influence of American missionaries, as noted by Hari Kumar and Alex Travelli.
Claims of descent from the lost tribes began in India in 1951 when a tribal leader named Mela Chala dreamt of his ancestral homeland being Israel. Since then, many in northeastern India, particularly in Manipur and Mizoram, have adopted Judaism and its associated customs. The earliest members of this tribe settled in areas like Hebron in the West Bank and Israeli settlements in Gaza prior to 2005.
Young members of the B’nei Menashe community express a strong desire to demonstrate their allegiance by joining the Israeli army to combat Hamas. Joseph Haokip, a student from Manipur, shared in an interview his aspiration to connect with his ancestral roots in Israel and contribute to the fight against Hamas, stating, 'I want to go to Israel and connect with my lost tribe. I also want to join the Israeli army and help them in fighting against Hamas because I belong to that land.'