Anti-intermarriage protesters gather outside wedding hall

Late Sunday, dozens of demonstrators assembled some 200 meters away from the Rishon Lezion hall where bride and groom Morel Malka and Mahmoud Mansour celebrated their wedding as planned. Several arrests were made.

Over 100 policemen patrolled the scene, barring the protesters from coming closer to the wedding hall and preventing disturbances.

The rally, organized by the Lehava anti-intermarriage organization, was protesting the couple’s mixed marriage: Morel comes from a Jewish background, although she recently converted to Islam.

Nearby, dozens of counter-protesters carried balloons and signs congratulating the newlyweds.

“As I told the groom and bride — in the end, love will win,” Mahmoud’s mother, Fadua, told Ynet. She said Morel was shaken by the public criticism, but added that “she is still strong, and will stay strong until the end.”

Lehava posted the wedding invitation of Morel Malka and Mahmoud Mansour on social media, calling on protesters to arrive with banners and bullhorns to protest. (photo credit: Facebook screenshot)