there are other reference for the bene israel link other than creationists.org!! They may not give the best perspective on matters Darwinian. GNXP has a full round up, for example...

I strongly believe, we the Mizo's are of Mongoloid race and not of Israel. This people who try to think and try to believe that they are actually Jews are extremist, who went too far into religion. I say, anything that is too much is never good. What i meant to say is that, everything,it can be anything not only religion, if anybody is too much into it... it always brings bad things to himself or others. Everybody can make up stories but stories are stories and seldom true. They were Christians and now Jews huh. They are only crucifying Jesus Christ again.

Well I'm also a MIZO, and a Christian.
Having said that, as a true Christian, I believe there is ABSOLUTE TRUTH. Which means even if the Bnei Menashe are economic migrants or in part backed-up by make-up stories doesn't mean their claim to belong to a lost tribe of Israel is FALSE as
equally it doesn't mean it's TRUE. The simple fact is I don't know if I belong to a lost tribe of Israel. And about the MONGOLOID LOOKS!!! whew 4000 years of exile can do alter ur appearance -- e.g. the Lemba who r blacks but some of them have the Cohen genetic make-up. My point is let's think before making a defense of our UNBELONGINESS to an Israel tribe!!! Let's chose a firm solid defense instead of talking nonsense. Just because ur a Christian and u think ur religion is in danger doesn't mean u shud be afraid to FLOAT the YET UNKOWN in the unknown arena. What I do know is we already have EVERYTHING in CHRIST!!! Whether I belong to an Israeli lost tribe or not doesn't mean a thing in view of the above as concerns God's Plan for me!!!
Perhaps God is using this LOST TRIBE phenomena to filter out the GOOD from BAD Christian Faith..........

Mizo-Jews?? WOW! Who came up with this concept? How ridiculously fascinating. Someone should write a novel about it. It'll definitely be a new york times bestseller (or maybe not). But then again, if a book like "The DaVinci code" could recieve so much acclaim.... hmm could be worth a shot. (or maybe not).

GOI has put a stop to the conversions. Apparently they were declared "kosher" by the rabbinate.

Israel agrees not to convert 'lost tribe' in India

By Jonathan Saul

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has bowed to complaints from the Indian government and stopped trying to convert to Judaism thousands of people in India who believe they are a Biblical lost tribe, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

Around 7,000 people in northeast India claim they are members of Bnei Menashe, or the children of Menashe, one of the 10 "lost tribes" of Israel.

Efforts to convert them by a specially despatched team of rabbis were called off after India, a major buyer of Israeli defence exports, voiced its displeasure.

Israel's Chief Rabbinate had given the green light to convert Bnei Menashe in India.

"The Indian authorities, through official channels, told us they do not view positively initiated efforts at conversions to other religions," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.

"When the Indian government issues a complaint we take it seriously. At the moment there is a freeze on all such conversions taking place," Regev said.

Some 800 members of Bnei Menashe have immigrated to Israel since the late 1980s and many live in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Some members of the community were among the settlers evacuated from Gaza in an Israeli pullout completed in September.

An Israeli official, who asked not to be identified, said any Bnei Menashe members who choose to immigrate to Israel would be converted to Judaism after their arrival.

Exiled by the Assyrians around 720 BC, the tribe wandered through Afghanistan and China before ending up in a part of India nestled between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Decades after being converted to Christianity by missionaries, descendants in various areas began to reconnect with Judaism in the 1970s.

While much of their Jewish traditions had been lost on the way, Bnei Menashe still practised customs which were Jewish in origin. These included sanctifying a baby on the eighth day after birth, the time when Jewish males are circumcised.

"The Indian authorities, through official channels, told us they do not view positively initiated efforts at conversions to other religions," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.

Hmm yes... I bet it really pisses the BJP off... just as they were pissed off when there were conversions of Dalits to Christianity in large numbers - if they're so secular and tolerant, what's the big deal if folks are converting? It's not as if the Mizo Jews are being forced into anything - they're seeking to rejoin the folds of the Jewish community or affirm that they have a place within a community that they already claim a link to.

UMM..These people were Christian to begin with, not Hindu. And the BJP is not even in power.

I know - I just don't like the BJP and randomly like to hate on them.

Who knows the root origin of the mizos. Chin, mongoloid ? whoever goes to find the fact. It is only a saying. No proof. The all knowing God will trigger the minds of rabbis to accept Mizo as israel if they are really so. If not he is the one who whispers in their ears not to accept so. No need a debate. We are certain of course that we are not jews Jews are who accept Israel religion, judaism. belonging Christianity we cannot be jew even though we might be israel in origin. Do not confuse okay

I found some comments shoking here specially the following one.
Henry Vangchhia on June 6, 2005 05:49 PM · Direct link
I strongly believe, we the Mizo's are of Mongoloid race and not of Israel. This people who try to think and try to believe that they are actually Jews are extremist.............
R they going too far into religion? you r going?Now where is so called independence for choosing faith?When missonaries convert dalits to christanity it is accepted to you.When mizo r getting convert its crusifying christ.Huh?
i just want to say is jews whether they r mizo or tamil always live with us side by side without any culprit for thousands of years.Neither jews nor local people try to convert each other saying each other animistic.Isan't it?Whether they want to live in india or israel its there choice.But i think so israel and indian goverment should give them double citizenship.Because though they r jews they r living here for thousands of year n have accepted indian values and indian culture.

Mizos are definitely not Jews. This belief or faith in being a Jews is scientifically not true. . . .If we really are, then why is only 'few' Mizos think they are the jews? they are want to go Israel for better opportunity or manipulated and influence by some small group of people,'their leaders'. Also not to mention, Jews in Israel do not accept them as Jews. Do read up our history, literature etc,. infact let me suggest a book 'India, Burma leh Bangladesh a Mizo Chanchin', by B.Lalthangliana. (2001 Synod Publication). It is a research of many years by well-known Mizos and highly educated Mizos in our Mizo society, the study group are B.Lalthangliana (Hrangbana College Lecturer, RL Thanmawia (Hrangbana College Lecturer, Vanlalchhawna (Hrangbana College Lecturer), C. Laitanga (Dy. Director, Art and Culture Dept. Mizoram). The research brought them to China, Thailand, Cambodia, etc. to find out the history of Mizo and its roots. The research is span for a period of almost 10 years. Their work and writing in this book is remarkable and contain credible facts and truth. It will be a treasure for us - Mizos, for now and the generation to come.

First of all, lemme make clear of the point. I'm a MIZO, but not jew. The lost tribe tradition is definitly an inventing subject that doesn't exist in reality. There was no concept of Lost Tribe in pre-British Mizo society. This is definity a european invention...!!come on folk, let us decolonized ourself...!!

Even if sky fall, i will not be Israel...!

This is the best example of how Israel try to use their money and power to buy out poor people from countries like India to take care of their home country. Bring in the poor people from around the world (calling them Jews) to do the 'coolie' work, so the rich Israelis can live and make money in New York and London.

I can understand if Mizos were original Jews, why they wandered out of Afghanistan but there is no reason to wander away from Chinese mountains to India.

Think about this = Mizoram is a state (23rd State) which has no much power at the center. The reason Mizoram finally became a state is because, Rajiv Gandhi married Sonia Gandhi. Laldenga knows this. So the perfect place for bring in the Judaism claim. People already believe in Jesus christ. Jesus was a Jew.

Keral State did have Jews (Kochi Jewish Synagogue is still in Kochi) All those Jews did go to Israel. However the claim on Mizos was not put forward when Kerala Jews went to Israel. This "Mizo information" was fresh information for Israelis - a quasi state in North East which is over looked by Indian government and people are Christian have no much contact with the mainland. They look different form mainland Indians.

Israel is free to give Visas to Mizos so that they can live and work in Israel. However all Mizos need to be converted to Judaism is too extreme ( My observation - the fact of the matter is most of Mizos will be willing to convert to Judaism voluntarily if given an option. So Israel does not really have to put out the premise that every one need to convert to Judaism in order to reach Israel. ==An Israeli official, who asked not to be identified, said any Bnei Menashe members who choose to immigrate to Israel would be converted to Judaism after their arrival. ===)

Best example:=

"Out of roughly 1000 members of the Mizo community in Israel, were among the settlers evacuated from Gaza in an Israeli pullout completed in September. "

Conspiracy:
June 2003: Interior Minister Avraham Poraz halts Bnei Menashe immigration to Israel following charges by Ofir Pines-Paz (Minister of Science and Technology, 2006) that the Bnei Menashe (mizo jews) are “being cynically exploited for political purposes" because they are being settled in Gaza and the West Bank. Rabbi Eliyahu Birnbaum, a rabbinical judge dealing with the conversion of Bnei Menashe, says the Knesset Absorption Committee's decision is one of "ignorance, racism, and unjustifiable hate".

Life in Israel

In the past two decades, some 1,700 Bnei Menashe (Mizo Jews) have moved to the Land of Israel, mostly to Israeli settlements in the West Bank. [5]. Learning Hebrew has been a great challenge, especially for the older generation, for whom the phonology of their native languages makes Hebrew especially challenging, both phonologically and morphologically. Younger members have more opportunities to learn Hebrew and gain employment as soldiers and nurses aides for the elderly and infirm.

Fate of promised land:

When Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announces his plan for the disengagement of Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip and several settlements in the West Bank, the Bnei Menashe community are especially affected because most of them are settled in the territories. Prior to Israel's subsequent withdrawal, the Bnei Menashe were the largest immigrant community in Gaza [22].

Bnei Menashe in India were concerned about family members who they feared were in the middle of violent confrontations between settlers and IDF soldiers. They were also concerned because they had thought of Gaza as their future home once they made aliyah to Israel. Although a group of Bnei Menashe left Gaza before the deadline, others stayed with their fellow settlers during the disengagement