A Muslim groom and his Israeli bride were married Sunday as police in Israel formed human chains to prevent enraged protesters from disrupting the ceremony.
Dozens of Israeli officers had to hold back angry protesters as they screamed “Death to the Arabs” and sang songs riddled with insults and threats toward guests attending the wedding of Maral Malka, 23, and Mahmoud Mansour, 26, Reuters reports.
The protest comes as tensions continue to escalate in the region.
Malka, who was born Jewish, decided to convert to Islam shortly before marrying Mansour, who is Muslim.
The couple was unable to gain a court order that would have prevented the demonstration, so Israeli police decided to establish a perimeter around the wedding hall which was provided to keep protesters at least 200 yards away.
Comprised of mostly young men in black shirts, a group called Lehava was responsible for organizing the protest, of which four members were arrested, according to Reuters.
“Such expressions undermine the basis of our co-existence here, in Israel, a country that is both Jewish and democratic,” Israeli President Reuven Rivlin wrote on Facebook in response to the hate-filled demonstrations.
Malka’s father, Yoram Malka, went on Israeli television to publicly denounce the marriage, referring to it as “a very sad event.”
The father of the bride claimed to be furious that his daughter had converted to Islam because of her love for Mansour, adding that his “problem with him is that he is an Arab.”
In Israel, Arab citizens make up around 20 percent of the population, with a large majority of them being Muslim, according to Reuters.
Several left-wing Israelis countered the hateful messages with flowers, balloons and signs with writings of well wishes and encouraging statements such as “Love conquers all.”
Israel’s health minister, Yael German, made a surprise appearance as a wedding guest, where she told reporters she felt the ceremony, as well as the protest, were both an “expression of democracy,” Reuters reports.
Despite the overwhelming disapproval, the controversial couple didn’t let anyone stop them from enjoying their very special day.
“We will dance and be merry until the sun comes up,” Mansour said.
“We favor co-existence.”