OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Dear
Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert.
However it is likely that your goverment will shut the door for us. We request your government not to change law of return, otherwise enact in a manner and form acceptable for all Jewish peoples including us. We further request you to make no amendment or alteration to without the consent of the Chief Rabbi of Israel. It is our understanding that documentation was made available to the members of your Parliamentary on Bnei Menashe.
Interior Minister made a desperate and insulting comments in support from your government to slam the door of aliyah, which hints us to submit a request.
Respected. Prime Minister, We are not coming to Israel to make money nor do we come to fulfil a desire for higher standard of living or gain economic prosperity. We do know we are are from the third world, however that does not mean we are begger here. To be honest we have lands, farms, building, cars etc, and everything what a person need to enjoy a life, holding high status, officers, we did not have to worry for our economic status here in India, rather, we left all that in love for Israel. We come to Israel where we have to start a new life, a life of a full fledged Jews. We in general are religious minded, "Better to live like a pauper in Israel where we can observe Jewish laws than live like a King in (in strage land) where we cannot serve G-d with our hearts" We left everything we had and come to Israel empty handed anticipating a warm welcome from our Jewish brethen, however it is the opposit. It is not permissible for the State of Israel to insult the Lost Tribe because they were lost. It is one of our legal rights to return and live in Israel as Jews.
To sum up current situation briefly;
There are many organization and leaders who wants to participate in gathering exiled tribes, worth mentioned are Rabbi Eliyahu Avichail - Chairperson of Amishav (father of Bnei Menashe) who found the Bnei Menashe and led all Bnei Menashe now living in Israel with the help of Michael Freund - chairman of Shavei Israel and Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder of IFCJ, who paid and wish to pay for the cost and Shavei Israel for bringing bnei menashe to Israel. To arrange for the transfer and resettlement of the 6,000 members of Bnei Menashe to Israel, the costs will be some eight million dollars. Michael Freund has pledged to the Israeli government that he will take on that responsibility, and many other Rabbis, social workers and philanthropist and journalist around the world. They visit and see with their own eyes the lives of Bnei Menashe. They genuinely felt and proved that the Menashe son of Joseph is Alive! They readily agree to serve the lost tribe, why Sheetrit does not even bothered to to asky them why, how or where about of Bnei Menashe.
You have the constitutional right, power and responsibility to recognise us. As this most pressing matter has now been brought to your personal attention, we have every confidence that your government will do whatever is necessary to open the door of redemption for us. Being one of the tribe of Israel (justifiably) struggles against insulting comments made to us and ban to enter Israel, it is difficult to understand how you can harm one of the Lost Tribe of Israel. I respectfully appeal to you to desist from this racist policy against the Bnei Menashe and permit them to return in their homeland, as is permitted to every Jews.
"The Jewish State was not formed so that those who arrived first would suddenly decide to close the gates. I hope and trust that there are enough individuals within the Jewish people and the Israeli community that wouldn't allow that to happen,"
We look forward to the moment that we can celebrate together our collective achievement “ not only for our benefit, but also for the benefit of all of Jewish people.
Faithfully yours,
Yonathan Haokip (Menashe)
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Please send this letter to Ehud Olmer - Priminister of Israel: pm_eng@pmo.gov.il or eulmert@knesset.gov.il
This letter has been also CC to: Interior Minister - Meir Sheetrit : mshitrit@knesset.gov.il Minister of Immigrant Absorption - Yaacove Ediry: yedri@knesset.gov.il
Foreign Affair Minister - Tzipi Livni : zlivni@knesset.gov.il
