Two-hundred and forty new olim (immigrants) from the Bnei Menashe community in northeastern India arrived today, April 23, at Ben Gurion Airport as part of a joint operation led by Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and The Jewish Agency for Israel. Upon landing, they were welcomed in a moving reception ceremony attended by Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer, The Jewish Agency’s Chairman of the Executive Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, Chairman of the World Zionist Organization Yaakov Hagoel, and Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel David Yosef.
Over the past two decades, approximately 4,000 members of the Bnei Menashe community have immigrated to Israel under previous government decisions. According to the current plan, about 1,200 additional immigrants are expected to arrive by the end of 2026, and by 2030 the process of bringing approximately 4,800 more community members-currently residing in the northeastern Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur-is expected to be completed. In total, approximately 6,000 olim are expected to arrive as part of Operation Wings of Dawn, completing the Aliyah of the Bnei Menashe community to Israel.
This marks the first of three flights expected to arrive over the next two weeks, bringing about 600 new olim from the Bnei Menashe community. The flight that landed today included dozens of young families, who will initially move into absorption centers in Nof HaGalil, where they will also reunite with relatives who made Aliyah in previous years.
The operation-named “Wings of Dawn"-follows a government decision made last November, initiated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer and Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, with the goal of completing the immigration of the remaining members of the Bnei Menashe community to Israel. The initiative aims to facilitate family reunification with relatives already in the country and to support their successful integration into Israeli society.
Operation Wings of Dawn is being led by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and The Jewish Agency, in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Conversion Authority, the Population and Immigration Authority, and additional partners.
The preparation of the Bnei Menashe community for Aliyah and coordination of their flights to Israel was entrusted to The Jewish Agency and made possible through the support of Jewish communities around the world and friends of Israel. Key partners include the World Zionist Organization, The Jewish Federations of North America, Keren Hayesod, International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, Christians for Israel, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, and supporters of Israel in Korea, among others.
The new immigrants are expected to experience a smooth transition into Israeli society in absorption centers operated by The Jewish Agency, with the support of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, in the northern cities of Nof HaGalil and Kiryat Yam, and in partnership with local municipalities.
Minister of Aliyah and Integration, Ofir Sofer, said: "We are making history as we bring the entire Bnei Menashe community to Israel. Today we welcomed the first flight of olim from northern India with great joy and excitement. I thank Prime Minister Netanyahu and Finance Minister Smotrich, who embraced the initiative I led - an initiative that will unite the entire community in the State of Israel. I also thank the Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, Moshe Pines, for coordinating the entire decision in a professional, values-driven, sensitive, and collaborative manner. There is no more fitting and moving time to welcome a plane full of olim than right after the State's 78th Independence Day - welcome home."
Chairman of The Jewish Agency, Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, said: "This is a moment that reminds us the Zionist vision continues to be realized day by day. Aliyah is the State of Israel’s growth engine, and every new oleh is a lighthouse of hope. This moment is made possible thanks to the dedicated work of The Jewish Agency's teams, and in particular the Aliyah unit, who work devotedly to turn vision into reality. Members of the Bnei Menashe community bring with them unconditional love for the State of Israel, and through family reunification, the heart of Israeli society as a whole is expanded. Our responsibility is not only to receive, but to accompany, embrace, and create for them a foundation of opportunity, belonging, and future."