Israeli Government Suspends Welcome For Bnei Menashe

The Israeli government has temporarily halted the immigration to Israel of the Bnei Menashe, a group of about 7000 individuals living in India who claim descent from Jews exiled before the destruction of the First Temple, and who still live as Jews according to the Old Testament. Yesterday the Jerusalem Post reported that the government is halting all conversion activity among the group in India while an inter-ministerial committee reviews its policy toward those who have not completed the conversion process. 216 Bnei Menashe in India have already completed conversion and are awaiting transport to Israel. The problem began in 2003 when then new Interior Minister Avraham Poraz of Shinui stopped the group's immigration claiming that they were only coming for economic reasons, and that their supporters in Israel merely wanted them to come to help populate areas outside the Green Line.