Joseph Haokip, an undergraduate student in Manipur, India, is eager to join the Israeli army and fight against Hamas. Haokip and his family, members of the Bnei Menashe community, recently returned to their home in Manipur after seeking refuge in Mizoram due to an ethnic conflict. Similarly, Rafael Khiangte, a taxi driver in Mizoram, wants to move to Israel to reunite with his mother and connect with his ancestral roots. The Bnei Menashe community, numbering around 5,000, believes they are descendants of the biblical lost tribe of Manasseh. They have embraced Judaism and hope to relocate to Israel to be united with their lost tribe.

The Bnei Menashe community’s claims of being part of a lost tribe started in 1951 when tribal leader Mela Chala had a dream about their ancient homeland, Israel. Since then, many members of the community in Manipur and Mizoram have embraced Judaism and its customs. According to their beliefs, the Bnei Menashe are the descendants of the Manasseh, one of the 10 lost tribes of Israel exiled by Assyrian conquerors in 722 BC. They maintain religious rituals like observing the Sabbath and claim to have crossed the Red Sea.

Israel’s Law of Return, established in 1950, allows Jews and their descendants, as well as their spouses, to relocate to Israel and acquire citizenship. This law opened the doors for the Bnei Menashe community to seek reunification with their lost tribe in Israel.

Over the past three decades, around 3,500 members of the Bnei Menashe community have relocated to Israel. However, delays exist in assisting the remaining members in making aliyah (the process of relocating to Israel). In 2021, a total of 150 people from the community were able to make aliyah. The final decision on allowing them to move to Israel depends on the government. As they wait for their turn, members of the Bnei Menashe continue to practice Judaism and maintain hope for their eventual reunion with their lost tribe.