Israel approves plan to bring Bnei Menashe community by 2030
Israel’s government has approved a plan to facilitate the immigration of the remaining Bnei Menashe community from northeast India by 2030, aiming to reunite families already settled in the country, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Israel’s cabinet has endorsed a proposal from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer to accelerate the arrival of Bnei Menashe Jews from India, citing ongoing pressures facing the community in the Manipur and Mizoram regions.
Under the approved decision, 1,200 people are expected to immigrate by the end of 2026. A further 5,800 individuals are projected to arrive by 2030, completing the relocation of the entire community. Government officials say the newcomers will be settled in Nof HaGalil and several other cities in northern Israel.
Netanyahu described the initiative as an important step for national development and thanked ministers involved in coordinating the plan. According to the Prime Minister’s office, around 4,000 members of the community have already moved to Israel over the past two decades under earlier government decisions.
In a separate announcement, Netanyahu’s office said he met with India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss expanding economic cooperation, including investment flows, progress on a potential trade agreement, and support for the India–Middle East–Europe economic corridor. Economy Minister Nir Barkat and India’s ambassador to Israel, J.P. Singh, also joined the meeting.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that an Israeli air strike on a Beirut suburb killed Hezbollah’s chief of staff Ali Tabtabai.
