A Yad is a pointer for reading the Torah. / Envato
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Israel has approved a multi-year plan to bring roughly 5,800 members of India’s Bnei Menashe community to the country by 2030, the government announced Sunday, calling the move both strategic and demographic in significance.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the decision as “important and Zionist,” saying the new arrivals will help bolster the Galilee, a northern region heavily impacted by ongoing conflict with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which has driven tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes in recent years.
Under the plan, the first group of 1,200 immigrants is slated to arrive next year. Israel’s absorption ministry will provide financial assistance, Hebrew language courses, job placement support, temporary housing, and other social programs to help the families integrate.
The initial phase is expected to cost €23.8 million (about $27.4 million).
The move follows roughly 4,000 Bnei Menashe who have immigrated to Israel over the past two decades. The initiative was coordinated jointly with the Indian government.
The Bnei Menashe, a small ethnic community from India’s Mizoram and Manipur regions, identify as descendants of the biblical tribe of Manasseh, one of Israel’s “lost tribes.” Many converted to Judaism after previously practicing Christianity and were formally recognized by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate in 2005. Today they maintain Jewish traditions, celebrate biblical holidays, and operate their own synagogues.
Israel’s demographic balance continues to factor heavily into policy decisions. The country’s population stands at roughly 10.1 million, about 73% Jewish, compared to an estimated 5.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
The Bnei Menashe are expected to settle primarily in the Galilee, a historic mountainous region bordering Lebanon and home to major cities such as Nazareth, Tiberias, and Safed.
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