Members of the Bnei Menashe (Sons of Manasseh) community from India wave Israeli flags as they arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Lod, near Tel Aviv, on April 23, 2026. More than 250 Native American immigrants who claim descent from the Bnei Menashe community, a biblical tribe believed to be one of Israel’s Ben Gurion Lost Airport, which is believed to be one of India’s Ben Gurion Lost Airport. government operation to relocate them to Israel. | Photo credit: AFP
The Indian government’s advisory on the security situation in Israel amid the ongoing war in West Asia came under the spotlight on Thursday (April 23, 2026) when Israel airlifted around 240 people from Mizoram to Tel Aviv as part of Israel’s “Operation Wings of Dawn”.
Although members of the Bnei Menashe community have been taken to Israel before, this is the first time such a large number of them have been airlifted against the backdrop of a regional war in West Asia. The aim of Operation Wings of Dawn, approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is to airlift members of the Bnei Menashe community from northeastern India to Israel.
Published – 24 Apr 2026 15:29 IST
