Every year to highlight the celebration of Israel’s independence, the International Bible Quiz takes place for Jewish teenagers. This year, a damper was put on the festive event when two rabbis demanded the cancellation of the quiz. The reason? Bat-El Levi, a 17-year old finalist from Israel, was a Messianic Jew.

The rabbis declared, "It is unacceptable that a member of a cult that had removed itself from the Jewish faith will take part."  

Despite their demands, the quiz event went on as planned, with Bat-El Levi participating. the quiz attorneys determined that Levi’s mother was Jewish and her identity papers made it clear that she, too, met the strice definitions of being identified as Jewish. 

This controversy, and many other religious and political strife, come at a time where Israel celebrates her 60th anniversary. War, or the threat of war, has hanged over the nation of Israel since the very day David ben-Gurion signed her Declaration of Independence.