The Lebanese groom who was exposed after his marriage to a Jewish girl from New York’s Syrian community has now arrived in Israel – and is determined to rehabilitate himself.
Elia Hawila, who was initially thought to be Jewish, then exposed as a South Lebanese Muslim named Ali who had masqueraded as a Jew, is now claiming to be Jewish in a number of ways. Hawila investigated his background and did a DNA test, revealing that he actually has rare genes which are synonymous with Ashkenazic Jews. Moreover Hawila’s grandmother revealed to him that his great-grandmother, whose name was Sarah Dweck and lived in Alleppo, had run off with a Muslim from South Lebanon and converted to Islam, meaning that he is actually halachically Jewish.
Additionally he underwent a further geirus (conversion) due to the fact that his family had practiced Islam for a number of generations. Hawila succeeded in convincing Israeli authorities to allow him entry to Israel despite his Lebanese background and is now enjoying his celebrity status in Israel. He still yearns for his wife and hopes that one day she will be persuaded to rejoin him but admits that he lied to her and deceived her prior to their marriage.
Interviewed by Israeli reporter Roi Kais, Hawila stressed his hatred for Hezbollah, stating that “I hope I merit one day to kill Nasrallah” but added that Israel and Lebanon had never been enemies before Hezbollah took control of Lebanese affairs. “It’s a war between Israel and a lowlife terror organization,” he insists.
When an Israeli tells him to “find a girl and settle down,” Elia corrects him. “I’m still married to my wife. My Ketuba is kosher.” The man tells him that he “has to get a divorce, she doesn’t want you” but Elia is not convinced and says: “Who told you?” He dreams that she will come and live with him in Israel but in the meantime he is building a new life for himself 6000 miles away from her.
2 comments:
רחמנות on the girl
Actually she is in Israel now.
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