200 Indian Jews get approval to emigrate to Israel

The year 2006 saw over 200 people from Manipur and Mizoram migrating to Israel, after converting from Christianity to Judaism,. They claimed they were descendants of one of the lost tribes of Israel mentioned in the Bible.

As 2009 begins, another 200 Indian Jews will immigrate to Israel, as the government there has approved their requests and recognised their identity.

Rabbinical leaders in Jerusalem said the Israeli government approved the request for 200 people to emigrate from the states of Mizoram and Manipur, IANS quoted community members as saying.

"Many people are waiting to go to their promised land. We are yet to get the details of who would actually go," Jeremia Hnamte, administrator of the Mizoram chapter of the Shavei Israel Organisation (SIO), said.

Jeremia said an official statement from Israeli Prime Minister Ehmud Olmert detailed the travel of the Indian Jews by a special flight in January. Upon their arrival, they will meet Olmert at the Ben-Gurion Airport in Jerusalem.

SIO, a group headquartered in Jerusalem, is dedicated in searching the lost tribes of Israel and in helping them return to their Promised Land.

According to Israeli law, every Jew enjoys right of return or the right of abode in the country, and for this very reason, they are ready to accept the score of applications received, and even help the government search for the remaining tribes.

Christian Today was informed that the Church along with the Mizoram government urged New Delhi to force Israel ban the conversions. However, with more Rabbis from Israel visiting Mizoram, the government is being pressurised to approve the Mizo's who wish to leave India.

Close to 1,000 Jewish 'converts' have already migrated from India to Israel in the last 12 years.

Mizos who are linguistically Tibeto–Burmans belong to the Mizo, Kuki and Chin peoples. While Mizoram is a predominantly Christian state, Manipuris still largely follow Hinduism.