Miss Iraq and Miss Israel selfie strikes a nerve

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As contestants for Miss Universe 2017 gather in Las Vegas, it’s no surprise many have been grabbing photo opportunities together.

However, when Miss Iraq, Sarah Eedan, posted a selfie with fellow contestant Miss Israel, Adar Gandelsman, they may not have realised how mixed reaction would be on social media.

Ms Gandelsman shared a similar photo on her Instagram account calling Miss Iraq “amazing”. Her post was liked nearly 3,000 times.

There are many other photos with other contestants featured on Ms Gandelsman’s Facebook page, but this one has touched hearts and nerves equally.

Ms Eedan, also spelled Idan, who grew up in Iraq and moved to the United States to study music, wrote on Facebook how honoured she was to be the first Iraqi woman in 45 years to be representing her country in the competition.

Given there are no diplomatic relations between Israel and Iraq, it was pointed out by some, including YouTuber Sabrina Bennoui, posting a photo of the two of them together was “not to everyone’s taste.”

Some in the Arab world who accuse Israel of abuses reacted angrily.

Asaad Abukhalil, a professor based in the US, tweeted: “The beauty queen of Iraq is happily posing with the beauty queen of occupation and brutality.”

But Iraqi activist @Alaa tweeted: “A photo of an Arab or Muslim with an Israeli does not reflect agreement with the policy of [Israel’s foreign ministry] of hostility towards humanity and peace issues.”

In response to the criticism, Ms Eedan issued a statement on Instagram, saying Miss Israel had approached her at a photo shoot and expressed her hope for peace between their two peoples.

“She asked if I would like to take a picture together. I told her I would be glad to help spread the message. The aim of the photo was an expression of hope for world peace.”

She went on to say the photo did not show support for Israel.

“I would like to apologise to anyone who considered the photo to be offensive to the Palestinian cause as this was not the aim behind the post, it was merely a call to peace and hope for a solution to the crisis.”

However, in Israel, the Prime Minster’s spokesperson, Ofir Gendelman praised the photo, calling it a “great message of hope for the region”.

More pride came from Armond on Twitter, who said, “Peace begins with people”.

Israeli news site, Ynet, praised Ms Gendelsman for trying to “bring hearts closer”.

The Times of Israel described the post as “an unusual display of coexistence emanating from a divided Middle East,” and Srugim News asked if Miss Iraq’s crown would be taken away.

In 2015, Miss Lebanon, Saly Greige, faced calls to have her national title from 2014 taken away from her after she appeared in a Facebook photo with her Israeli counterpart, Doron Matalon.

The Miss Universe pageant, run by the organization of the same name, is one of the world’s major beauty contests. It is held in more than 190 countries worldwide and draws billions of viewers each year.

BBC

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50 responses to “Miss Iraq and Miss Israel selfie strikes a nerve”

  1. Hind Abyad Avatar

    Peace? Good joke…too late

    1. One would hope though… Do not forget that the jews have been used and abused by the zionists who caused their suffering and slaughter while they hide behind their wealth and banks.

      1. Hind Abyad Avatar

        I know, it’s so much against human behaviour can’t understand it, just can’t yesterday i read this;
        SWEDISH DAUGHTER OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR FACES DEPORTATION FROM ISRAEL
        http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Swedish-daughter-of-Holocaust-survivor-faces-deportation-from-Israel-514734
        ‘The Fight to Get Israel’s Holocaust Survivors Their Benefits
        ‘We are always encountering survivors who aren’t getting even half of what theyโ€™re entitled to,’ says head of aid organization; meanwhile a third of Israel’s 200,000 survivors live in poverty and 1,000 die each month’
        https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.813964

        And they have so much money

        1. Now add bigotry to this racist apartheid state and it will be the best (or beast) country to live in.

        2. But the “holohoax” is just a PR stunt. Every upstanding (Arab) Nazi knows that it never actually happened. And if it did, the Jooz fully deserved it. So what’s the big deal? ๐Ÿ™‚

          1. .. and Ben Whiteโ€ @benabyad retweetet by Hind Abyad.
            ???? !???! @benabyad – @AbyadHind !???! ????

            Ben White is a prolific and energetic campaigner against Israelโ€™s existence, as CiF Watch readers have known for a long time. The Guardian knows that too and hence the publication of this article amounts to nothing more than collaboration with Whiteโ€™s ugly campaign of incitement.

          2. Hind Abyad Avatar

            Go to mama Schwartz

          3. Abyad is “white” in Arabic. They are not related by blood, just by common Joo-hatred.

          4. Hind Abyad Avatar

            making money while holocauste survivors living in abject poverty.

          5. A court in Germany has once more postponed the appeal of octogenarian Ursula Haverbeck, who has multiple convictions for Holocaust denial. Haverbeck has been handed several jail terms, but has so far avoided prison. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6bb0990d57089d2f3af3520ee6beb56eb8f9c978aa778a368aa7e5a20d627554.jpg Ursula Haverbeck (the “Nazi-Oma” is a 89-year-old woman), who has multiple convictions for Holocaust denial.

            Haverbeck, who has been dubbed by the German press as “Nazi-Oma,” meaning “Nazi Grandma,” has been sentenced to jail five times in total. The most recent occasion was in October, when a Berlin district court sentenced her to six months in jail for incitement to racial hatred.
            So far, she has not served any prison time, having appealed the sentences on each occasion and with proceedings ongoing and repeatedly postponed in each case. Haverbeck claims she has been merely repeating an opinion.

            Under German law, denial of the Holocaust – in which 6 million Jews were murdered by the Nazis – constitutes incitement of racial hatred. Convictions can result in a prison sentence of up to five years.

            It would be interesting if Omega would dare to comment his denial of the Holocaust in Germany….

          6. Finally the “Nazi-Oma” (‘Nazi Grandma’) loses appeal case, sentenced to 14 months in prison for Holocaust denial
            Ursula Haverbeck, has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for incitement of racial hatred.
            “Nazi Grandma” (Haverbeck) has been handed several jail terms but has yet to be jailed.

            Germany is definitely a dangerous place for Holocaust denial such as the so called Omega and his Jew hater ilk Hind.

          7. If Miss Iraq and Miss Israel selfie strikes a nerve, it must have been Hind Abyads nerv.

            Today’s browsing of Hindenburg’s Twitter account I became curious about her twitting about the “Fury as Russia launches investigation into whether the last tsar Nicholas II was killed with his family as part of a ‘Jewish ritual murder’, at behest of Putinโ€™s โ€˜confessorโ€™ ” (The Bond Research Institute).
            I citat Abyadโ€ @AbyadHind that tweeted some 11 Stunden ago about The Bond Research Institute.
            https://twitter.com/AbyadHind/status/935704061856436225

            This creature must be “working” full time, otherwise you can not comment on so many social media.
            It would be interesting to know who pays her for this full time job?

            She claims to be a christian Lebanese resident in Canada and , Hind controls what / who criticizes Russia, Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas.
            Despite this, Hind criticizes France’s society and policies that do not fall into her tast because the leaders there are either Zionists https://twitter.com/avec_marine/status/935576017305038858 or Front National….

          8. Hind Abyad Avatar

            “Niemals – Y K โ€ข 3 hours ago
            If Miss Iraq and Miss Israel selfie strikes a nerve, it must have been Hind Abyads nerv.

            Today’s browsing of Hindenburg’s Twitter account I became curious about her twitting about the “Fury as Russia launches investigation into whether the last tsar Nicholas II was killed with his family as part of a ‘Jewish ritual murder’, at behest of Putinโ€™s โ€˜confessorโ€™ ” (The Bond Research Institute).
            I citat Abyadโ€ @AbyadHind that tweeted some 11 Stunden ago about The Bond Research Institute.”

            I tweet what i want mama Merkel. Show me where i posted on this “browsing” of yours..oh but surprise surprise, i got notification, i denounced you.
            I get invitations every day from (The Bond Research Institute). https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9181a414f38f23d026e1cc72d652ee2a5f25d77767ccee7075467e64012fbce5.jpg

      2. “Do not forget that the jews have been used and abused by the zionists”

        The Nazi moron’s heart bleeds for the poor Jooz. How (un-)believably sweet. ๐Ÿ™‚

        1. Hind Abyad Avatar

          I want to find a post were you don’t say ‘Moron’…or ‘Joos’.
          The neo-Nazi Zionist’s heart bleeds for the crimes committed..so sweet;-)
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBRxt5ufnGg&t=124s

          1. Abby Martin is one of the sexiest Joo-haters alive today. The sad thing is that instead of marketing her looks, she pathetically insists on peddling her “activism”.

          2. Hind Abyad Avatar

            For you and your ilk truth is “activism”…or “resistance”

          3. That’s your first literate comment since, like, ever. What’s going on? Have you been secretly taking English lessons? Or is it that proverbial case of a monkey randomly hitting a typewriter and accidentally producing “War and Peace”? ๐Ÿ™‚

          4. Hind Abyad Avatar

            Troll

          5. Rainbow Sponge Avatar
            Rainbow Sponge

            Check the pattern in her latest comments. And I’m not taking the p1ss I’m being serious, there’s a change of tone (also lots of smileys). I’m guessing it’s change of medication.

          6. Hind Abyad Avatar

            ๐Ÿ˜‰ ๐Ÿ˜‰ ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ˜‰ ,-)

          7. You post the 9/11 Truther because you think she is hot. She is mentally unbalanced and changes her political views by 180 degrees at the drop of a hat.
            No wonder you like her.

          8. Rainbow Sponge Avatar
            Rainbow Sponge

            Hind’s aunts are lesbian, they’d like her even more.

          9. Hind Abyad Avatar

            1383 Upvotes- Joined Jun 25, 2017?

      3. Rainbow Sponge Avatar
        Rainbow Sponge

        Speaking of suffering and slaughter, here’s the latest news on your resisters xoxo

        https://twitter.com/GregoryPWaters/status/933069510990376960

        1. You have to see the other side’s losses… By the bushel ๐Ÿ˜‰

          1. Rainbow Sponge Avatar
            Rainbow Sponge

            What’s the other side’s losses got to do with the Syrian Democratic Forces

          2. Rainbow Sponge Avatar
            Rainbow Sponge

            Sweetie, I have no idea what in the world this is. If you’re going to post random crap then at least try and explain it with your limited English x

          3. Hind Abyad Avatar

            Israeli Zionist is referring to his ‘Syrian Democratic Forces’ Kurd avortar.
            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9e7d8c749960fc6a78e172c45ee0b21d2afe601092e7fae656caaf5f82b70ae7.jpg

          4. Maybe Idlib… But Lebanon destroyed every army that went by. We can’t wait.

        2. A good Hezbollahi is one blown to so many pieces you can’t even bury him. ๐Ÿ™‚

          1. Rainbow Sponge Avatar
            Rainbow Sponge

            A future war just got easier for Israel and Northern Syria ๐Ÿ™‚

    2. Ghariib… I told that character YucK not to address me. His loooonnng zionose is everywhere even in his own a$S. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      1. Rainbow Sponge Avatar
        Rainbow Sponge

        Where were you in 2005? Know anything about the Hariri assassination?

      1. Rainbow Sponge Avatar
        Rainbow Sponge

        Their religious affiliation matters not — they lost the war.

        1. Hind Abyad Avatar

          It’s all about religious affiliation and head choppers, MaImequer0, the reason you stalk since 2012.

          Syrian Army liberates large area along western bank of Euphrates River โ€“ video
          https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-liberates-large-area-along-western-bank-euphrates-river-video/

          1. Rainbow Sponge Avatar
            Rainbow Sponge

            You were nice in the comment above, then switched accounts and got nasty in this comment. I guess one account for each personality.

  2. Jews and the West: How nice. Maybe it will increase understanding.
    Arab world: We need to kill Jews. Or we can just kill her.
    That Asad guy has huge animosity towards women in his writings and is a multiple divorcee (also, rumored CIA asset). So take his hatred of women expressing themselves with a grain of salt.

  3. It’s not over yet!
    Death threats haunt Miss Iraq in wake of selfie controversy https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/801d2610014b91f4cb9d8a684cb3a1c7a07848f1b12f8c21a1c249742c2bab3a.jpg
    http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/17/us/miss-iraq-death-threats/index.html Sarah Idan, Miss Iraq, and Adar Gandelsman, Miss Israel, pose for a selfie at a pre-pageant photo shoot in Las Vegas, Nevada.

  4. Hind Abyadโ€ @AbyadHind
    Antwort an @KartikeyaGupt @HillelNeuer und 2 weitere
    You live on another planet, i am Middle East Christian i have no knowledge of Hindu culture and you have no knowledge of mine, we are worlds apart
    Abu Ghaib the torture rapes massacres atrocities took place when US invaded Iraq Shut up about what you ignore. Propagandist.

    Suddenly Hind stops being an expert, she “have no knowledge of Hindu culture and you have no knowledge of mine, ..”. What a JOKE she is.

    Kartikeya Guptโ€ @KartikeyaGupt
    Antwort an @AbyadHind @HillelNeuer und 2 weitere
    With no proper argument to make, it’s easy to get down to slurring. US invasion of Iraq was a wrong move. Human rights violations in Abu Ghraib are to be condemned. War crimes are not to be forgotten. What Sana did is to be appreciated & matters not if I’m a Hindu or an Indian.
    @ Kartikeya Gup;
    – @AbyadHind never have a proper argument to make!
    Follow her comments on https://yalibnan.com/, you will understand it better.

    https://twitter.com/HillelNeuer/status/942187811020648448

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