PM Netanyahu Meets with International Bible Quiz Contestants

(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening (Wednesday, 10 April 2012),
met with participants of this year's International Bible Quiz
http://p2g.jewishagency.org/english/israelschools/biblequiz/
which will take place on Independence Day, next Tuesday, 16 April. Also
participating in the meeting were IDF Chief Education Officer Brig.-Gen. Eli
Shermeister and quiz coordinator Rabbi Maj. Eliezer Amoyal. This year's will
be the 50th quiz; 58 young people, aged 12-18, from 26 countries – including
Finland, Turkey, Colombia, Latvia and Costa Rica – will participate.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "The Bible is the foundation of our
existence, our right to exist, and our right to this land even though there
are those who try to deny this. In my view, it is the basis of our existence
and it is important that this basis also be understood among the nations of
the world and not just among us. I ascribe great importance to teaching the
Bible and this is how it is in my family. I am pleased to hear that it is
similarly important in your families and communities. I welcome you to
Israel and wish you all good luck."

IDF Chief Education Officer Brig.-Gen. Shermeister said, "We are happy to
meet here, and not for the first time. We know how much you, Mr. Prime
Minister, appreciate and esteem the Bible and those who study it. Your
wife's family is one of Bible students and her late father, Shmuel
Ben-Artzi, was a Bible scholar. Your son Avner finished third in the 2010
quiz, which should be successful for everyone."