"Laser Eyes" or Not... Miss Israel Faces Unexpected Controversy

Clashed multiple times on social media before the pageant
Clarification follows: "I was just looking at the other contestants"

At the Miss Universe pageant currently being held in Thailand, a scene featuring Melanie Shiraz, the Israeli representative, standing next to Nadine Ayoub, the Palestinian representative, has gone viral and sparked what is being called the "eye contact dispute." Some critics argue that in recent years, the Miss Universe competition has become an extension of international political conflict, overshadowing its original purpose as a beauty pageant.

A Palestinian representative posing on the Miss Universe stage. On the right, the Israeli representative is looking in a different direction. SNS

On November 12, Yonhap News TV, citing the Israeli media outlet Times of Israel (TOI), reported that controversy erupted after the Israeli and Palestinian representatives were seen standing side by side on stage, with the Israeli representative appearing to glare at the Palestinian representative. This moment was rapidly shared on social media platforms such as TikTok on November 9.

Some pro-Palestinian users criticized the scene as a "hostile glare." One user commented, "It's like Cinderella in a blue dress and her evil stepsister," expressing disapproval. On the other hand, pro-Israeli users countered that "she was simply looking to the side." Shiraz explained on social media the next day, November 10, that "I was just looking at the other contestants coming onto the stage," adding, "It is neither kind nor fair to exaggerate or distort an ordinary moment." However, the two had already clashed several times on social media even before this year's competition.

A moment during the Miss Universe preliminary stage held in Bangkok, Thailand, where the Israeli representative looks beside the Palestinian representative. This brief glance sparked an online controversy known as the 'eye contact dispute.' SNS

Previously, Ayoub, who is participating as the first-ever Palestinian representative at Miss Universe, mentioned the children who lost their lives in Gaza in October, stating, "Their only crime was being born in Palestine." However, her post included a photo of Israeli siblings who were kidnapped and killed by Hamas, which sparked controversy. In response, Shiraz pointed out, "Those children were killed simply because they were born in Israel and were Israeli," adding, "Changing their identity to Palestinian is a distortion."

The British Daily Mail reported, "This controversy coincides with a series of incidents the Miss Universe organization has faced recently," noting, "Last week, Victoria Tilbury of Denmark, the previous year's winner, led a mass walkout in protest after organizers publicly rebuked participants during an appointment ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand." The pageant organizers have not yet released an official statement regarding the current controversy, while this year's Miss Universe final is scheduled to be held in Thailand on November 21.