I have a contention, though, with this article's premise that these guys are still Jews. Any Jew who converted to Islam is a Baal worshipper.
khaqan_khawaja, the Gypsys have been proven to be related to India, not Israel.
Israelites are still israelites and the chosen people even if they are off whoring around in other religions as the OT put it. Their response to God doesn't determine their lineage. but it does cause a proper response from God. When Christ rode in on the ass, he pronounced judgement on Israel in the prophecy that Jarusalem would be raized to the ground and not one stone left sitting on another because they failed to recognize Jesus for who and what he was. Judgement did not stop them being Israelites. On the other hand, the Church has been grafted in as a member of the chosen.
The lineage of Israel is important to such an extent that a number of groups have a lot to gain in trying to discredit and disown Israel, their history, etc. I'd tread very carfully with pronouncements. These are God's chosen and to be judged by him - not by us. He is both just and merciful and there is still a great deal of prophecy to be fullfilled - including the mass conversion of Israelites that is to come. ;)
Might be interesting to take note of who protests the story and from what religion they come. I can tell you three religions off the top of my head that have a real problem with this. Islam and Roman Catholicism are the two biggest.
Presents a real problem for their Peter went to Rome claim. Moslems deny the chosen status and merely wish to dispute that israelites even really exist. Mormons seem to have a mixed reaction. Jehovah's witnesses are into the replacement theology concept that Rome once embraced in error. You could write a book on the reaction to other religions to the house of Israel.