Bible Quiz participation

There is a discussion going on over at The Muqata about the Messianic girl who has qualified to participate in the annual Bible Quiz that takes place on Yom Ha'atzmaut (end of next week).

Yad L'Achim has protested her participation because of her Messianic beliefs. They are threatening to call for a ban on the Chidon, if she is allowed to continue as a contestant.

It seems like a no brainer. This is a quiz for religious kids, with a seat saved for a secular candidate (as they generally fail to qualify on knowledge, a seat is saved for them so they can be part of it). She is Messianic, and is a danger, and is part of a dangerous community, that try to use their knowledge to missionize among the Jews, and she should be thrown off the contest.

The problem is that the rules seem to have only one criteria mentioned for qualification in the chidon. That is that the contestant be Jewish. While many Messianics are not Jewish (some have converted but would not be considered Jewish by law or halacha), it just so happens to be that this girl trying to compete is Jewish. Her family just happens to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, even though they are really Jewish. So how do you disqualify her if she qualifies under the one rule for participation?

Yad L'Achim arranging a ban, while understandable on the face of it because of their great work against missionaries in Israel, is a questionable step. I see it as being problematic for 2 reasons:

1. The Haredim generally completely ignore the Chidon Tanach. It is a Zionistic venture, in honor of Yom Ha'Atzmaut (a holiday most Haredim ignore). The Haredim generally ignore the whole thing. They do not send kids to participate in the contest, they do not report who won or anything about it. Heck, the Haredi press did not even write today about this whole issue that has arisen! So banning it, seems like it will be pretty ineffective. It will just give this organization (the Messianics) a lot of interviews and press time, with no real gain for Yad L'achim, even if they do successfully get her knocked off the contest.
2. Disqualifying her from participating is problematic, since she qualifies under the rules. If we start saying that some Jews cannot participate because of their beliefs, that opens a whole can of worms. People will start appealing other candidates participation, based on what they claim to be (whether they are or are not would always be debatable) beliefs that are beyond the pale.
   If a Reform student wished to participate, would he be banned? If a Chabad Meshichist student wished to participate, would he be protested? I am not comparing beliefs and saying some people are better than others, who is within the pale and who is beyond the pale, but if we come along and start saying that about this one girl, who is to stop anyone from coming in the future and protesting other candidates, that might be more acceptable, but still questionable.
   

I can foresee, if this protest takes on legs and becomes a real fight, this destroying the whole chidon.
1. differentiating between beliefs
2. haredim ignore the chidon tanach anyway, and do not care if this brings down the whole thing.