Various outlets are now reporting that a rabbi, Rav Avraham Reich, has doen some research and discovered that Eliyahu Hawil, the chosson of the story above, is actually Jewish, as his mother, and her mother, and her mother, were all Jewish, despite being married to Muslims in Lebanon. Hawil spent time in Rabbi Reich's community and has undergone a giyur lechumra - a conversion lechumra, just in case, to remove any possible doubt. Rabbi Reich did not convert Hawil but witnessed the conversion performed by a beis din.

I heard Rabbi Reich speak about this in an interview on the Zev Brenner show called Talkline. Very interesting and a strange twist to the story. it is hard to believe that this fellow is already Jewish, considering he never mentioned it at the time and was clearly being deceptive and lying, but even if it is not true, he has now undergone a conversion, just in case. So he is Jewish now, regardless of whether the findings of the research into his family is accurate or not

What a mess. If he was already Jewish, the original marriage was valid. If she refuses to take him back, he will have to give her a divorce, a gett. Hopefully, if that's what she wants, he wont refuse and make her an aguna. If he wasn't Jewish, she remains legally divorced (if they went through a legal divorce) and no gett is needed. If they do not get back together, I assume a gett will be required lechumra, just in case.

Such a weird story, a weird situation. I am not sure how he will make it into Adam Sandler's next version of the Hanukkah song - will he be listed as a Jew or as not a Jew or as a maybe Jew?