Amoré
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie that’s Amoré!

There are lots of bad things to say about Hamas. But one can’t deny their romantic side. Last night, Hammas held a mass wedding for some 452 couples in a Nablus stadium. This tops Islamic Jihad’s ceremony, held earlier this month, where merely 222 couples exchanged vows. Tens of thousands showed up to celebrate.

No doubt many of you are thinking that mass weddings aren’t really that romantic; however, as TM now complains about the cost of Jewish education, no doubt in some years we’ll hear him complain about the cost of weddings. They are expensive and the price of the mahr (dowry) can prevent poverty stricken people enjoining in holy matrimony. It gets better too; each couple received a gift of 200-300$, a wedding ring and bedroom furniture.

Why does Hamas bother with weddings while it could be plotting to blow things up? Hammas has maintained its status as a provider of social and economic benefits to needy Palestinians. They run schools and hospitals, none of which has gone unnoticed. As (one of the many) newlywed Hassan Ghanem put it:

Hamas is the only group that is helping the young people here. For many of us, they are the future.

Fellow newlywed Ali Khalil agreed:

This is a great day for all of us and we want to thank Hamas for this gesture. Had it not been for Hamas, I would not have been able to cover the expenses of a wedding.

Muffti can’t help but wondering if Jewish Mother has a counterpart, Palestinian Mother, whose dreams are coming true this week.

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8 Comments

  • Maybe we can take Jewish Mother’s Jewlicious Free Weddings on the Beach Initiative and hold it on those nice, cheap beaches off Gaza City together with the Palestinians now that our buddies in Hamas are in a marrying mood. After that, everyone, Jew and Arab alike, can go to a festive reception, where they’ll all share nana tea, Arab pastries and casual gunfire.

    Although seriously, it is a little disturbing that Hamas has done more infrastructure-wise for Palestinians than the PA in the eyes of Palestinians. If only there wasn’t that little thing…something about the Jews and the sea…

  • Look at all the lovely brides. I can’t figure out if they’re waiting for the badeken, when their grooms will make sure that they’re not their sisters instead, or if they’re going to break out into a chorus of “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Muhammed?”.

  • One wonders why there is no philantropic group there that is not aligned w/ the militant islam sector. It is a kind of Sicilian mafia farce.

    I don’t think that I will ever be able to understand this mentality of hate and murder that is for sure all over the area of Gaza and the WB. Imagine you are walking in Schem or Jenin, what is the life like? I used to find it forbidding as hell. I knew many Israelis who would casually go to Nablus for fun. What kind of fun, strip clubs, belly dancers, fine lamb shish kebab, the knafa? Hundreds of Israelis would walk to East Jerusalem or old city on Shabbat morning to buy boxes of some doughy delicacy (not bad I will admit), by some famous Arab bakery in the Christian quarter, or how about Friday night going to these small food places for French fries or for the more adventurous the felafel? or just a drink.

    But there were very few ‘incidents’. Those were the good old days. Unless what happens here is an improvement over the prevailing situation since Oslo, or the first Inti, where most people it seems are pessimistic. Some people say Bitachon is the play now.

  • My sister just got married…I dont understand why spend soooo much money…I rather take the money and buy a nice first house…Does this mean Hamas will have a mass birth festival too?

  • Living in the middle of the Shomron, I can tell you that the Palestinians are really much happier this year with us getting ready to retreat and give them land. Almost every other night, the weddings in the surrounding villages are noisier than ever and with crappy fireworks too. In the past four years, there was maybe one wedding a year with fireworks, this summer, there are many each week that I can see from my living room.

  • It’s not my Free Wedding On The Beach Initiative. It’s the Jewlicious Wedding On The Beach Initiative, well known to be vastly cheaper than usual, if not quite completely free.

    Has to have some kind of Group Golden Crown quality or there will be a stigman of “oh, that’s all you can afford”.

    But Michael will figure it all out, and TM is contacting Cesarea, and Jewlicious loves a party, especially on a beach. There are plenty of beaches. The concept is portable.

    You all keep bringing it up. It must interest you. Yes, it makes more sense keep more of the money in reserve for starting the new home; while preserving all the charm our simchas should have; by being as clever as we always are anyway, no?

    Floor- (er, sand-) length mantilla! Three or four yards of lace? I have the design figured out.