Why in the news?
- On 23 November 2025, Israel approved a major plan to bring all remaining 5,800 members of the Bnei Menashe Jewish community from Northeast India by 2030.
- This marks a significant step in the decades-long Aliyah (immigration to Israel) process.
Who are the Bnei Menashe?
- Indigenous community from Manipur and Mizoram.
- Claim descent from Menashe (Manasseh), one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel exiled by the Assyrian Empire ~2,700 years ago.
- Faced historical disputes over their Jewish identity.
- In 2005, Rabbi Shlomo Amar, the then Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, formally recognised them as “descendants of Israel”, enabling immigration.
| In India, if a religious sect/community is given “the status of a national minority, what special advantages is it entitled to? (2011)
1. It can establish and administer exclusive educational institutions. 2. The President of India automatically nominates a representative of the community to Lok Sabha. 3. It can derive benefits from the Prime Minister’s 15-Point Programme. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 |
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