B'nei Menashe Jewish Tribe
Context:
A group of approximately 250 members of the B'nei Menashe community recently landed in Tel Aviv.
This marks the first batch to be relocated under an official Israeli government resettlement programme that began funding the relocation of nearly 5,000 members late last year.
Who are the B'nei Menashe?
The B'nei Menashe (which translates to "Sons of Manasseh") number around 7,000 individuals.
They belong primarily to the Mizo and Kuki tribal communities spanning the northeastern Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram.
They claim descent from the tribe of Manasseh, the largest of the so-called "Ten Lost Tribes of Israel."
According to Jewish tradition, these ten tribes were banished when the Assyrian empire conquered northern Israel around 722 BCE.
Members of the community believe their exiled tribe wandered eastward for centuries, travelling through Persia (modern-day Iran) and Afghanistan before eventually settling in Northeast India.
Organisational Support for Relocation:
Over the decades, their cause and subsequent migration to Israel have been championed by various organisations.
This began with Amishav in the 1970s and Shavei Israel from the 2000s to 2020.
More recently, since 2020, an organisation named Degel Menashe has emerged.
Notably, unlike previous support groups, Degel Menashe is run directly by members of the B'nei Menashe community themselves.
Other 'Lost Tribes' in the Region:
B'nei Ephraim:
A Telugu-speaking community in Andhra Pradesh that claims descent from the lost tribe of Ephraim.
Belonging to the Dalit caste, they assert they arrived in India via Central Asia about 1,000 years ago.
Pashtuns:
Certain communities in Afghanistan and Pakistan are also frequently associated with Hebrew heritage, though they are devout Muslims and the issue of religious conversion remains highly sensitive.