Blog Post #5 More than 7,200 Indian Jews to immigrate to Israel

            According to a media report, 7,200 Indian Jews are going to be allowed by the Israeli government to immigrate to Israel in the following weeks. Avigdor Lieberman, the head of the ministerial committee of immigration and absorption made the decision about three months ago to allow this group to immigrate to the Jewish state of Israel. This group of Indian Jews is a part of the Bnei Menashe tribe who have been immigrating to Israel over the past decades however in 2007 it was stopped because their “Jewishness” was questioned although the Israeli Chief Rabbinate had previously stated that they were in fact “descendants of Israel”. The Bnei Menashe tribe says that their people were exiled over 27 centuries ago and eventually settled in the northeastern part of India. Several religious groups are excited to find out the news that this group of Indian Jews is going to return to their home; one Christian Evangelical group sees it as a “biblical prophecy”. They are reported to be funding the move of more than 7,200 Indian Jews to Israel.

            This article shows how the geographical location of the original home of the Bnei Menashe tribe in Israel is so important to their racial/ethic identity. It also points out the fact that even after thousands of years this group of Indian Jews still very much identifies with Zion being their home even after living much time in India. On the other hand it demonstrates how the authenticity of being Jewish was questioned so much that the immigration had been stopped since 2007 which shows that there are some people who don’t identify them as being truly Jewish. It is clear that the Bnei Menashe tribe has a strong sense of their Jewish ethnic identity however at the same time there are those that don’t fully accept them as such.

           

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/More-than-7200-Indian-Jews-to-immigrate-to-Israel/articleshow/10140827.cms