Miss Israel and Miss Iraq pose together on Instagram
Although the two countries may not have diplomatic relations, that didn’t stop two of their beauty queens from cozying up at this year’s Miss International Beauty Pageant.
Israel and Iraq may not have any formal diplomatic relations, but that didn’t stop two of their beauty queens from cozying up at this year’s Miss International Beauty Pageant.
During the competition in Tokyo on Tuesday, Miss Israel, Adar Gandelsman, and Miss Iraq, Sarah Idan, posed for photos on their respective Instagram accounts. Idan’s caption read: “Peace and Love from Miss Iraq and Miss Israel.”
Gandelsman’s caption praised Idan as “amazing.”
Idan is courageous — other countries in the region that are hostile to Israel haven’t taken such displays lightly. In 2015, Miss Lebanon, Saly Greige, faced public backlash and calls to strip her of her title after she appeared in a photo that included Miss Israel, Doron Matalon.
“From the first day I arrived at the Miss Universe pageant I was very careful not to take any pictures with Miss Israel, who tried repeatedly to take pictures with me,” Greige wrote after the controversy. “While I was preparing with Miss Slovenia and Miss Japan to get our photograph taken, Miss Israel jumped in and took a selfie with her phone and posted it on social media.”
In August, then-Miss Lebanon, Amanda Hanna, was stripped of her title after it was discovered that she had traveled in Israel — Lebanese citizens are forbidden by law to visit the Jewish state.
However, The Times of Israel points out that Idan, a 27-year-old born in Baghdad, now lives in the United States.
Gandelsman and Idan will participate in the Miss Universe competition in Las Vegas on Nov. 26. Be sure to check your Instagram feed.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
