National Bible Contest
National Bible ContestFlash 90

The Central Regional Youth Bible Contest was held last Tuesday. It constituted the final step in identifying the candidates who will go on to the National Bible Contest.

The newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported Sunday morning that the contest was marred by cheating. The paper reported that the Education Ministry had received a complaint that the first place winner allegedly coordinated his answers with a partner in the audience.

"I saw it with my own eyes. He really helped him," said A, one of the contestants. During a short break in the contest, A, told his classmates who had come to support him what he had seen happen on the stage.

Tahal, who accompanied the contestants from A's school, went onto the stage to report the cheating to the judges. "I told them that there were a number of deals to exchange answers, and Judge Zaki Kevati, the director of the Central Regional Contest, told me: 'I hope they don't make it to the finals. I don't know how to deal with it. Get off the stage. I want to move on to the next level."

"I tried to insist, but he old me: 'You are being very disruptive. Get off the stage,'" Tahal added.

"I saw the winning candidate look at the crowd, lift his finger, and then mark the number one. I rubbed my eyes and thought I was imagining it, but when I looked at my friends I realized that they had also [seen] what I had seen."

The Education Ministry stated: "The event was attended by five judges, who kept a close eye on the fairness of the contest. In any event, the complaints of the students were transferred to the director of the International Youth Bible Contest."