The opening ceremony of the annual International Bible Contest was disrupted today by protesters shouting "Return them now!" as a video message from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played. The outbursts were in reference to the ongoing efforts to free those still being held by Hamas in Gaza since the outbreak of the Oct. 7 war.
The incident occurred at the start of the prestigious competition, held each year on Independence Day. As Netanyahu's pre-recorded remarks aired, shouts rang out from some audience members demanding the government take stronger action to repatriate the bodies of fallen Israeli troops.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, one of the judges for the quiz, addressed the protesters saying, "We have been granted the privilege to live in Jerusalem this year, and the obligation to ensure we can live here next year as well. This is what we are fighting for – the right to continue living in our land." Ohana spoke of the importance of the Bible in connecting the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland. "Only if we know our story and the places our forefathers walked, only then will we know how to truly love this land," he stated. "Our enemies try to distort our history, but they will lose because the strongest weapon is truth."
Video: Netanyahu's recorded message / Credit: Prime Minister's Office
This year's contest theme is "War" in light of last October's conflict dubbed the "Iron Swords War." Among the question askers were Itiel Kalmanzon, who served with an elite IDF unit during the fighting, and Rachel Edri, known as Rachel from Ofakim, who survived a hostage situation thanks to her bravery by baking cookies for Hamas terrorists who had invaded her home . Other honored guests included Iris Haim, mother of Yotam Haim who was accidentally killed by IDF fire while trying to escape his Hamas captors in Gaza; children's author Hadassah Ben-Ari who documented the war; and leaders of major Israeli institutions like the KKL-JNF, the Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization. Haim, who was a judge in the quiz, said: "We cannot fight only with weapons. That is not enough. The Torah is the spirit of the Jewish people. And we must have it with us."
The ceremony symbolized Israel's deep ties to the Bible while tensions over the military conflict lingered. As the contestants prepared to take the stage, all were reminded of the unfinished sacrifice still being demanded.
The judges for the ceremony were Ohana, question writer Yoav Shlosberg, Emuna Cohen – last year's International Bible Contest laureate, Haim, Rabbanit Yemima Mizrahi, children's author Hadassah Ben-Ari who wrote about the war events, KKL-JNF Chair Ifat Ovadia-Luski, Jewish Agency Chair Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Doron Almog and World Zionist Organization Chair Yaakov Hagoel.
