A historic homecoming unfolded at Tel Aviv airport on Thursday as more than 250 Indians, claiming descent from a biblical tribe, touched down to begin new lives in Israel.
Welcomed under a blue-and-white balloon arch with traditional Jewish songs, they are the first group of "Bnei Menashe" to arrive since the Israeli government approved funding for the immigration of around 4,600 members of the community from Manipur.
The Bnei Menashe trace their lineage to Manasseh, one of the "lost tribes" of Israel exiled in 720 BC. Their oral history recounts a centuries-long journey through Persia, Afghanistan, Tibet and China, while maintaining certain Jewish practices such as circumcision. Converted to Christianity in India during the 19th century, they have long sought recognition of their Jewish roots.
Since the 1990s, about 4,000 Bnei Menashe have already settled in Israel, with 7,000 still in India. The newcomers will be housed in northern Israel and must formally convert to gain citizenship.
Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer hailed their arrival as a "historic moment," noting that the operation will relocate 1,200 people annually until the entire community is resettled.