JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Eliya Hawila, the Lebanese Arab who masqueraded as a Jew and married a Jewess from the Syrian Jewish community before being exposed has spoken to the Israeli press for the first time.
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Roi Kais of the Kan broadcasting corporation interviewed Eliya, who is residing in a hotel in the US at present. Hawila described his youth in Lebanon as a child who did not identify with any of the factions in the war-torn country. Born in the city of Tyre, Hawila’s father was a practising Muslim but his mother was not devout and Eliya searched for a religious identity.
Picking up a bible, Eliya felt drawn to the Jewish people and decided to adopt some Jewish practices, even fashioning his own kippah. His mother noticed and told him to stop his behavior which could land him in trouble. Eliya instead brazenly told other people he’s Jewish, which resulted in his receiving death threats and nasty epithets.
After the family moved to the US on his father’s American citizenship, Eliya approached a Reform community in Houston and requested to convert but did not receive a response. Thinking that he was not wanted, Eliya decided to act as a Jew without formally converting. Choosing the name Eliya because he loved the story of Elijah, Eliya easily merged into the Texas Jewish community, studying engineering in Texas and becoming affiliated to Chabad.
As he began to think of marriage, he told his Syrian Jewish fiancee that his ID, which held a different name, was used simply because he worked for NSA and was on a mission with a different identity. She believed this and so did her parents but a family friend was suspicious and checked into Hawila’s identity, discovering his father who revealed the truth about Eliya.
Breaking down in tears when he describes how he was separated from his wife and even accused of being a terrorist, Eliya says he doesn’t know what the future will bring but wants to convert to Judaism in Israel. Even though he doesn’t hold much hope of returning to his wife who hails from a community which rejects all converts, he still declares that she is the love of his life.
Hawila expressed remorse for deceiving the bride and her family, saying: “I will beg her for forgiveness for the rest of my life and beg for a second chance.”
Eliya believes that “after every bad there is good and Hashem helps” and hopes that his luck will take a turn for the good.
How was this guy not punished for what he did? There should at least be a civil suit if not anything else! Also why are we still reporting on him like he’s not someone who should be put in cheirim and shunned from the frum community. Did we forget that he’s a goy who married a jewish girl under false pretenses?!
Are you trying to whitewash his lies and deception?
Yeah
Like someone is REALLY gonna believe the jerk?
The guy clearly has deep issues. Geirus is not play therapy!
Feel sorry for anyone who wants to marry him. He still claims the woman he raped is the love of his life. The story of his growing up seems made up too.
Not sure what to think of this fellow, so I will leave it to the Rabbanim to deal with him.
“Eliya believes that “after every bad there is good and Hashem helps” and hopes that his luck will take a turn for the good” My wife gets this same exact speech every yomtov at her Bais Yaakov alumni “inspiration” speech.
Anyway, Israel is the place to convert. No rules or standards there now to join this religion thanks to matan kahana.
He is likely a failed sleeper cell for ISIS, but since he is obviously unstable he failed in his jihad mission and now is playing the victim card kind of like Omar and Sarsour. The woman he was manes as he did not have a valid kiddushin as he is a GOY cannot marry a kohen as she was with a goy so he already ruined her life, any beis din that even considers this unstable fellow must be put in cherem.
As the saying goes, ‘throw your bread on the water’. In such a situation, he must show noble intents and free this woman with a civil divorce if he hasn’t already, and go on from there. If he builds his faith on a selfless action like this, he may have a path to grow a more noble path toward a solid spiritual – and gashmius future, perhaps eventually even as a Jew with this particular woman, though that would be as a truly different person and with her blessing from the Jewish Syrian community as well, which is not too likely.
If he hates and despises the State of Israel he qualifies for Satmer conversion by either faction.
There are people who have done far worse things who have converted to Judaism. Nebuzaradan (Sanhedrin 96b). Nero (Gittin 56a).
The jewish people need all the help they can get. We are not strong enough to survive without accepting all who wish to join. Anyway according to tosfos kabbalah blev is enough for someone to become a jew.