Why Israel is airlifting this 'lost tribe' from India's northeast

Far from the Middle East, Israel undertook a silent mission in India. Announced last year by Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel on Thursday airlifted around 250 members of the Bnei Menashe community as part of its Operation Wings of Dawn.

In Short

• About 250 Bnei Menashe people flown to Israel from Manipur
• Israel plans to relocate 1,200 community members each year
• The community links itself to Menashe, one of Israel's lost tribes

Around 4,000 km from Iran, Israel is undertaking another operation in India. The mission, named Operation Wings of Dawn, begins in the hills of the northeast to relocate around 5,000 members of the Bnei Menashe community from Manipur to Tel Aviv. For some, it is a journey from one violence-hit territory to another. But for most of the Bnei Menashe community members, who trace their roots to one of the biblical "lost tribes" of Israel, it is the end of a long journey to their ancestral home.

The Israeli government airlifted the first batch of around 250 community members, via Delhi, on Thursday. Last year, the Benjamin Netanyahu government announced an initiative to fund the immigration of around 4,600 members of the community from India. Over the past two decades, nearly 5,000 people have already migrated to Israel. "This is the beginning of an operation that will allow the entire community to immigrate, 1,200 per year," Israeli immigration minister Ofir Sofer told AFP.

WHO ARE THE BNEI MENASHE?

You must be wondering who the Bnei Menashe are? How did they reach India's far northeast from Israel? Stay with us, and we will explain the history behind it.

As per the Bible, the ancient people of Israel were divided into 12 tribes. Ten were named after the sons of Jacob, and two after his grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe (or Manasseh), the children of Joseph.

The Bnei Menashe community claims to be descendants of Menashe. They were exiled in 722 BC by Assyrian conquerors after the defeat of the Kingdom of Israel. After a centuries-long exodus through Persia, Afghanistan, Tibet and China, around 10,000 members of the community reached India's northeast and settled in Manipur and Mizoram.

"Bnei means children, and Menashe is for grandchild," Asaf Renthlei, a sociology researcher from IIT-Delhi, told my colleague Yudhajit Shankar Das, while referring to the community's origins.

Now, why India? Historically, the Jews have viewed India as a safe place, as they never faced religious persecution in the country as they did in other parts of the world.

In Manipur, the Bnei Menashe community is classified as Kukis. Most Kukis converted to Christianity in the early 20th century under the influence of American missionaries. However, the Bnei Menashe community follows Judaism and its customs and traditions.

WHY DO THEY WANT TO SHIFT TO ISRAEL?

In fact, religion is among the key reasons why the community desires to shift to Israel.

Benjamin Haokip, a Manipur resident, told The New York Times that limited access to religious infrastructure in the remote hills was a key hurdle.

"Here, we cannot follow all our customs. Some prayers require a minyan or quorum, which is hard to find in the hills. We want to go to Israel for our religion," Haokip said. Minyan is a Hebrew word that describes the quorum of 10 Jewish adults required for religious obligations.

Availability of traditional food and cultural resources is also an obstacle faced by the community. The members have already started learning Hebrew on the Duolingo app.

While announcing the initiative to relocate the community last year, Netanyahu called it an "important and Zionist decision".

Most of the Bnei Menashe people who relocated from India before 2005 settled in places like Hebron and in Israeli settlements in Gaza. The 250 members who arrived on Thursday will settle in northern Israel, parts of which faced missiles fired by Hezbollah in Lebanon as early as last week. A fragile ceasefire is now in place.

The Israeli PM has said their relocation would "strengthen" the North and Galilee regions. The people will now need to convert to become Israeli citizens, The Times of Israel reported.

WHY ISRAEL WANTS TO RELOCATE THEM?

Israel's decision, however, has cast a shadow over its real motive behind the initiative.

Israel, which has been involved in a prolonged war with Hamas in Gaza and later with Iran, is facing a labour crunch. Much of its workforce has been depleted due to conflicts that began with the offensive by Hamas in 2023. The decline in migrant labour from countries such as Nepal and Thailand due to the war has also affected the economy.

The relocation of the Bnei Menashe community will help replenish its workforce. The Israeli government's move to settle the community in border areas, like Galilee, is also being seen as a bid to balance the Arab-Israeli population.

In fact, at the height of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, over 200 Bnei Menashe people, who relocated from Manipur and Mizoram, fought along the Israeli army on the frontlines. The Indian-born Jews played a crucial role. You can read more about this here.

For the community, the economic factor is also crucial. In Manipur, most of the members work on farms or as labourers. Those who have relocated to Israel are driving trucks or working in the construction sector, earning around $55,000 as compared to around $1,200 in India.

The ethnic clashes in Manipur between the majority Meitis and the Kukis, which broke out in May 2023, have further hit their incomes. The situation remains tense even today.

Haokip said life has become more difficult after the clashes. "Other things are better there (Israel), too - like education," Ngamthenlal, a Hebrew teacher in Manipur, told NYT.

The tough part, however, is getting accustomed to a technologically sophisticated environment in Israel. Previously, those from the community who have settled in Israel have complained of broader challenges, like racism and economic hardships. Racism is a major issue, with the community members often labelled as "Chinese" due to their distinct appearance.

However, for the Bnei Menashe people, the journey to Israel is important. "India is our birthplace, but Israel is our destiny. That is our promised land. We have to go there," a community member, Daniel Hangshing, told NYT.

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