Last night's wedding of Arab television hostess Lucy Aharish with Jewish actor Tzahi Halevi is drawing responses from public figures. Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said today he opposes marriage between Jews and non-Jews.
"I'm a Jew, I keep tradition and Torah and mitzvot; the Jewish people is the most important thing I have," Deri said in an interview with Army Radio.
Deri says, "This is why we're all working to preserve the Jewish People. The pain of assimilation around the world that consumes the Jewish people... In New York after the Holocaust there were 6 million Jews; by now we should have reached 30, but today there are fewer.
"I'd tell Lucy that I have no doubt she doesn't intend to harm the State of Israel. They're a couple in love who got married, but it's not right. You'll have children, and they'll have a problem in the State of Israel because of their status. If she likes Judaism, there's a conversion process," he added.
Deri also referred to the Prime Minister's investigations and refused to promise not to sit in Netanyahu's government if an indictment is filed against the Prime Minister. "There's no decision to even request a hearing, so why are they talking about an indictment?" wondered Deri.