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'Makuha ka sa tingin:' Did Miss Israel give hostile looks to Miss Palestine during the Miss Universe event?

Entertainment | Celebrities

'Makuha ka sa tingin:' Did Miss Israel give hostile looks to Miss Palestine during the Miss Universe event?

By Robert Requintina

A video taken during the 2025 Miss Universe welcome event in Thailand has sparked another controversy.

Miss Israel and Miss Palestine at the 2025 Miss Universe welcome event in Thailand. (A screenshot from @RimaHas)

Miss Israel and Miss Palestine at the 2025 Miss Universe welcome event in Thailand. (A screenshot from @RimaHas)

According to the Daily Mail, Miss Israel Melanie Shiraz was reportedly criticized on social media after a video showed her briefly turning her head towards Miss Palestine Nadeen Ayoub during the event on Sunday night.

Reports said that Miss Israel has denied the allegations. Quoting the Times of Israel, Miss Israel said, "It's very clear that I was simply looking toward other contestants as they came on stage."

Despite the denial, netizens insisted that Miss Israel gave a dirty look at Miss Palestine.

Netizens also linked the incident to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, which began with Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948. However, tensions between Jewish settlers and Palestinians existed long before that.

Click the link below to watch the video of Miss Israel and Miss Palestine at the 74th Miss Universe welcome event in Thailand.

pic.twitter.com/dngl2EbSqG

This is the first time Palestine is participating in the Miss Universe pageant.

'Today, I step onto the Miss Universe stage not just with a title but with a truth...

'I represent every Palestinian woman and child whose strength the world needs to see. We are more than our suffering - we are resilience, hope, and the heartbeat of a homeland that lives on through us," Nadeen wrote on Instagram after it was announced she would represent Palestine in the competition.

Miss Palestine also represented her country at the Miss Earth 2022 pageant in Manila, where she was crowned Miss Earth-Water.

On the other hand, Melanie told the Jerusalem Post: 'I want to show people, both in and outside of Israel, that this title can be a force for connection, for understanding, and for positive change.

'It’s about far more than beauty - it’s about making our people proud by standing for something that matters," the Israeli beauty queen said.

The issue between the beauty queens from Israel and Palestine is the latest controversy to hit the most prestigious beauty pageant.

Last week, some candidates walked out when Miss Mexico clashed with Thai pageant official Nawat Itsaragrisil during the sashing ceremony in Thailand.

The 74th Miss Universe beauty pageant will broadcast live from Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 21. More than 100 candidates from around the world are competing for the coveted crown.

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