Story perspectives

Historic Arrival: 250 Bnei Menashe Reach Israel, 6,000 Planned

4/25/2026

Left

Bnei Menashe Arrive

A crowd welcomed the first Bnei Menashe arrivals beneath a blue-white balloon arch, launching a plan for 6,000 Indian immigrants.
250 Bnei Menashe arrived in Israel and were placed in absorption centers, where conversion to Judaism is required for citizenship.
Minister Ofir Sofer called the arrival historic and announced admitting up to 1,200 members yearly.
Immigrants fled Manipur, where Hindu-Christian clashes killed over 250 people, heightening the relocation’s urgency.

Right

Bnei Menashe Arrive

Operation “Wings of Dawn” began with the first of three flights delivering 240 Bnei Menashe immigrants.
The immigrants arrived at Ben Gurion Airport and will reside in absorption centers in Nof HaGalil.
Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer welcomed newcomers during a ceremony at the airport.
Mayor Ronen Plot said Nof HaGalil can absorb them, joining city’s 1,500-person Bnei Menashe community.

History

Historical Context

In 1984 Israel launched Operation Moses, covertly airlifting roughly 8,000 Ethiopian Jews from Sudan amid famine and civil war. The 2024 reception of 250 Bnei Menashe families in Nof HaGalil, welcomed by Minister Ofir Sofer and Mayor Ronen Plot, echoes that long-standing rescue policy of bringing diaspora Jews to safety.

1 of 3

Bnei Menashe Arrive

A crowd welcomed the first Bnei Menashe arrivals beneath a blue-white balloon arch, launching a plan for 6,000 Indian immigrants.
250 Bnei Menashe arrived in Israel and were placed in absorption centers, where conversion to Judaism is required for citizenship.
Minister Ofir Sofer called the arrival historic and announced admitting up to 1,200 members yearly.
Immigrants fled Manipur, where Hindu-Christian clashes killed over 250 people, heightening the relocation’s urgency.

1 / 3