About 5,500 members of the Menashe community live in India and are waiting to immigrate to Israel. While waiting, seven members of the congregation were killed as a result of a missile falling near the synagogue during the riots that are taking place in northern India.
The Aliyah, Absorption and Diaspora Committee chaired by MK Oded Forer, held a discussion today (Tuesday) on the issue of the immigration of the Menashe and their integration into the employment market in Israel.
In the last decade, 4,121 immigrants from the Menashe tribe immigrated to Israel, of which 1,421 immigrated in the last 5 years. About a thousand people from the Menashe community who came to Israel are recognized by the welfare services. According to estimates, about 5,500 members of the Menashe community live in India and are waiting to make Aliyah to Israel.
The Menashe community resides in northern India under great danger due to the disturbances that take place in the area. In the Mizoram region, 600 people are waiting to immigrate to Israel and in the Manipur region, 4,000 members of the Menashe community are waiting to arrive in Israel.
Zvi Hauta, coordinator of Bnei Menashe: "Last night, the Bnei Menashe community buried 7 people who were killed as a result of a bomb falling near the synagogue. I am begging to let this community make Aliyah. Every day they stay in India and do not immigrate to Israel, they are putting their lives at risk. I am not worried about employment, everyone will get along, I worry about the members of the community who are still alive and just want to immigrate to Israel."
MK Oded Forer, chairman of the Aliyah, Absorption and Diaspora Committee, said: "We must immigrate the Menashe community to Israel as soon as possible. The State of Israel refrains from immigrating the Menashe community and I think this is a historical mistake. The State of Israel must promote the immigration of the members of the community who remained in India.
"Bringing Jews to the State of Israel is a supreme value that is not measured in money. There is a problem with recognizing their conversion from an orthodox point of view, so they have to immigrate to Israel and undergo conversion here. Optimum absorption must go through employment for the new immigrant, and therefore an infrastructure for work must be prepared for them even before their immigration to Israel."
