Thousands of Indian 'lost' Jews to immigrate to Israel

Thousands of Indian Jews who claim to be descendants of one of the 10 lost tribes of ancient Israel might soon have their permits ready to travel to the Promised Land.

The Israeli government is expected to give final approval in the next few weeks to allow the 7,200 remaining members of the Bnei Menashe (children of Manasseh) community in the north-east states of Manipur and Mizoram to immigrate to Israel.

The Ministerial Committee on Immigration and Absorption headed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, according to Jerusalem Post, has decided to bring to the Jewish state the remaining 7,232 members of the northeastern Indian community.

The Bnei Menashe is one of the lost 10 tribes of Israel who were exiled when Assyrians invaded the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th Century BC. During the exile, the tribe is believed to have travelled through Persia, Tibet, China and on to eastern India.

Although many had converted to Christianity, in recent decades thousands are turning back to Judaism with the help of rabbinical judges from Israel. More than 1,700 members of Bnei Menashe, mostly Chin–Mizo–Kuki people speaking Tibeto–Burmese dialects, is said to have immigrated to Israel over the last decade.

The previous Israeli government under former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had stopped the Bnei Menashe migration in 2007.

For the forthcoming 'aliyah', two organisations have agreed to provide financial assistance to those immigrating to Israel. Aliyah is the word that describes the return of the Jewish People from the exile in the Diaspora back.

Shavei Israel, a Jerusalem-based organization that works with "lost" Jews around the world, is likely to cover more than $20 million estimated costs of immigration.

The founder of the organisation, Michael Freund, termed it a "historic breakthrough" which will allow the lost tribe of Bnei Menashe to return to Zion.

A Christian evangelical organisation as well has agreed to cover some of the costs for transportation.

"We are absolutely dedicated to supporting this initiative," Juergen Buehler, executive director of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, was quoted saying.

Buehler's organisation plans to gather funds for the immigration at an event that is expected to attract more than 5,000 evangelicals next month.

Members of the Bnei Menashe community have the benefit of applying for immigration to Israel under the Law of Return that requires no authorisation from the country's Interior Ministry. However, this process applies to only those who have converted to Judaism.