Miss Israel Endures Harassment Amid Viral Miss Universe Controversy

In a deeply troubling development at the 74th Miss Universe competition in Bangkok, Thailand, Miss Israel Melanie Shiraz has become the target of vicious online harassment following what she describes as a misleading viral video. The 27-year-old beauty contestant has been facing an onslaught of death threats, antisemitic comments, and other disturbing messages after footage circulated appearing to show her giving a dirty look to Miss Palestine, Nadeen Ayoub, during the pageant.

“I don’t know if that footage was edited, but it was definitely at least cropped and clipped together in a way that made it look like I was the only one looking that way,” Shiraz explained in an interview with Fox News Digital. The controversy escalated rapidly as the video spread across social media platforms, creating a distorted narrative that Shiraz believes misrepresents the actual situation. “My social media got swarmed with hate comments and these clips that looked like I was standing right next to her,” she added. The former tech sector professional and startup founder initially thought the footage might be AI-generated before realizing it came from a camera angle that presented a skewed perspective of the interaction between the contestants.

While Shiraz had anticipated some level of scrutiny as Israel’s representative given the ongoing political tensions in the Middle East, the severity and graphic nature of the harassment has been deeply disturbing. “This has been to the point of, ‘I want to rape and kill you’ or ‘I hope that you end up like one of the hostages that got raped and shot in the head,'” she revealed, adding that she’s received numerous antisemitic messages including “die you dirty Jew.” The situation represents a stark contrast to what Shiraz had hoped would be a productive engagement with Miss Palestine during the competition. “I was hoping that I would be able to have a productive dialogue with Miss Palestine, maybe even take some photos together and show the world that we can be an example for peace,” she shared, expressing disappointment that the opportunity for such a positive interaction had been overshadowed by controversy.

Shiraz, who holds an MBA and studied at the University of California, Berkeley, entered pageantry after recognizing her passion for advocacy. Her experience in Israel advocacy during her university years led her to view the Miss Universe platform as an opportunity to present a human dimension to Israel’s story. “I realized that I am very passionate about advocacy. I got heavily involved in the Jewish community and Israel advocacy on campus, and it occurred to me that a cultural stage such as this one could give Israel a human voice when we’re generally only seen through a political lens,” she explained. This perspective makes the current situation particularly painful, as her attempt to represent her country positively has been met with hatred and threats.

The controversy deepened after Shiraz noticed that Ayoub had posted several photos online in which Shiraz was visible and not portrayed favorably. “She had posted eight photos in which I was visible in all of them. They were obviously not good pictures of me, and ones where I was looking in that direction, or what seemed to be that direction,” Shiraz recalled. When she asked Ayoub to remove the photos, only one or two were taken down. Shiraz also noted that during the competition, she observed what appeared to be coordination between Ayoub and a specific cameraman who seemed focused on capturing both contestants together, which Shiraz found “striking.” These observations have contributed to her belief that the viral video may have been part of a deliberate effort to create controversy.

Despite the harassment, Shiraz remains committed to her mission of representing Israel on the global stage. “It is very, very tough to be Jewish and Israeli in this day and age. No matter what we do, we will get hate for it,” she reflected. Rather than discouraging her, however, the experience has strengthened her resolve. “It only reinforces to me that what I’m doing right now is important and that I shouldn’t get distracted, just motivated.” As the Miss Universe competition continues toward its finale on November 21, Shiraz remains focused on her goals beyond the pageant. “I’m very passionate about representing Israel and, after this competition, hope to pivot from my background to turn to advocating for Israel and for good causes into my life’s work,” she said. With remarkable resilience, she added, “I come out and put my best foot forward every day, and sometimes it feels like, no matter what I do, it just will not be sufficient to get me into certain people’s hearts… But of course, it won’t stop me from putting my best foot forward.”