Some 250 Jews from north-east India have landed in Israel as part of an initiative announced by the government here last year to bring all remaining members of the community to the Jewish state.
The Bnei Menashe community, which lives in parts of Manipur and Mizoram, claims descent from the biblical tribe of Manasseh, and has been slowly making its way to Israel since the 1990s.
About 4,000 community members have reportedly immigrated to Israel over the past three decades with approximately 6,000 more waiting.
The Israel government plans to fly 1,200 more people from the community over the course of 2026 as part of the "Operation Wings of Dawn."
The whole relocation plan is estimated to require a budget of 90 million shekels to cover the costs of the flights of these immigrants, their conversion classes, housing, Hebrew lessons, and other special benefits.
