Crowd Jeers PM Sharon at International Bible Contest

Aaron Lerner Date: 12
May 2005

The audience joined in the protest call against the expulsion of the Jews of
the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria as a girl held up a sign "Jews do not
expel Jews" and cried out the slogan when Prime Minister Ariel was
introduced at the International Bible Contest in Jerusalem today.

The International Bible Contest, that is broadcast live on Israel
Television, was dedicated this year to the memory of Adir Zik, who pioneered
the broadcast of the program and more recently was a leading figure
broadcasting on Arutz 7.

The Israel Television broadcast gave considerable airtime to the girl
holding the sign and her being escorted out.

Until this year the International Bible Contest was the main Israel
Independence Day event which featured the participation of Jews from
overseas. For the first time, this year, the torch lighting ceremony (12
torches for the 12 tribes of Israel) at the opening Independent Day program
on Mount Herzl also honored two people living overseas - a wealthy
philanthropist (Charles R. Bronfman) and an ex-Israeli now teaching Hebrew
in California (it was not clear what distinguished her for the honor).

It remains to be seen if this was a one time gesture or if this has
established a precedent that each year a wealthy foreign Jew and a "yored"
will be honored at a ceremony that until now honored people living in the
country who made great sacrifices for the State.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il