Miss Lebanon’s Selfie With Miss Israel Causes Outrage in Arab World
By Reuters. A Israeli beauty queen’s selfie has caused a stir in Lebanon, with some Lebanese saying their country’s contestant at the Miss Universe pageant should be stripped of her title for consorting with the enemy.
Miss Israel Doron Matalon posted a photo of herself and Miss Lebanon Saly Greige smiling together at pageant preparations in Miami, where the winner will be picked on January 25.
The two countries are technically at war, although the border has been largely quiet since their 2006 conflict. The Lebanese risk prison if they call or travel to Israel and all Israeli products are banned in Lebanon.
Some Lebanese have demanded on social media that Greige lose her title for contacts with a citizen of the enemy state. (Read more about the selfie with Miss Israel HERE)
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Miss Israel’s Response After Miss Lebanon Distances Herself From Their Selfie
By Algemeiner. Miss Israel, Doron Matalon, has responded to the controversy surrounding a ‘selfie’ she took together with Miss Lebanon at the ongoing Miss Universe competition in Florida, saying that she is saddened, but not surprised by the Arab beauty’s decision to strongly distance herself from the picture.
“It doesn’t surprise me, but it still makes me sad. Too bad you can not put the hostility out of the game,” Matalon wrote on Instagram on Sunday. “Only for three weeks of an experience of a lifetime that we can meet girls from around the world and also from the neighboring country.”
The controversial picture was first posted by Matalon on January 11th and was captioned: “Good morning from us!”
After an avalanche of criticism from within the Arab world, which often frowns on contact with Israel, Miss Lebanon, Saly Greige, on Friday issued a stunning repudiation of the image and even claimed to have been avoiding Miss Israel throughout the competition. (Read more from this story HERE)
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