Israel Approves Plan To Facilitate Migration Of India’s ‘Lost Tribe’ By 2030

For over twenty years, W L Hangshing, a retired Indian Revenue Service officer from Manipur, has nurtured a deeply personal aspiration, one that goes beyond career or recognition. At 68, this Kuki-Zo leader is awaiting the long-awaited opportunity to “make aliyah,” the Hebrew term meaning “to ascend,” which signifies the spiritual journey of migrating to Israel.

According to the report, Hangshing’s journey reflects the hopes of the larger Bnei Menashe community in India, which numbers around 5,800 members. Concentrated in Manipur and Mizoram and forming part of the broader Kuki-Zo ethnic group, the Bnei Menashe trace their ancestry to the lost tribe of Manasseh, one of the ten tribes believed to have dispersed following the Assyrian conquest of Israel in the 8th century BCE. The community has preserved elements of Jewish tradition over centuries, maintaining a distinct identity despite geographical separation from Israel.

The Israeli Ministry of Immigration and Absorption will now oversee the migration and resettlement of Bnei Menashe members, a process previously managed by NGOs. Language training in Hebrew is a key first step, as proficiency is essential for securing employment. Authorities evaluate each migrant’s skills, placing them in suitable roles ranging from vocational trades like carpentry to academic and professional settings.

Many families opt to settle in affordable regions, including areas near Gaza or Hebron. Hangshing explained that economic realities often dictate these choices. “Land in Tel Aviv is unaffordable; even a single room is beyond reach for most families,” he said. Some migrants have relocated to the Negev desert, finding work in agriculture, while others who previously cultivated paddy fields in Mizoram now earn a living in factories, making around 34 shekels per hour.

As per the report, the current phase marks the first time the process is directly managed by the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency, in coordination with Indian authorities. Nearly 1,200 members are expected to migrate in 2026, with subsequent batches to follow in the coming years. Of the approximately 3,000 screened applicants, priority is given to families split between India and Israel. Hangshing, whose father and uncles are in Israel, is still awaiting confirmation for his own migration. His father, Aviel (Tongkhohao) Hangshing, had moved to Israel in 2014 at the age of 80, remaining there until his passing in 2021. “He wanted to spend his final days in the Holy Land, just as Hindus wish to be in Varanasi at the end of life,” Hangshing recalled.

Hangshing emphasised the historical and cultural legitimacy of the Bnei Menashe’s claim. “We are not just scattered Jews; we are descendants of a lost tribe. Recognition from the Jewish Agency and the Israeli government has been years in the making,” he said. He also dismissed the relevance of DNA testing for migration, noting the extensive intermixing within Jewish populations over centuries.

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