Former Miss Iraq to Nelson Mandela’s Grandson: ‘How Dare You’ Call For Boycott of Pageant in Israel (VIDEO)

 For the first time in its 70-year history, the Miss Universe beauty pageant is coming to Israel. The competition…

By October 27, 2021

For the first time in its 70-year history, the Miss Universe beauty pageant is coming to Israel. The competition is slated to take place on December 12 in Eilat. According to the organizers, Israel was chosen due to its “rich history, beautiful landscapes, myriad of cultures and appeal as a global tourist destination.”

But some “activists” are keen on politicizing the event and have called on participants to drop out.

Nelson Mandela’s grandson launched a campaign to convince Miss South Africa to skip December’s pageant because of Israel’s alleged violations against the Palestinians.

Mandla Mandela’s call to boycott Israel comes after he recently praised the “deep ties” between South Africa and Communist China. He also called it an “honor” to meet the ambassador from Saudi Arabia, not exactly a bastion of women’s rights.

Then the plot thickened: Sarah Idan, Miss Iraq 2017, posted a video to Twitter… The resulting sexist abuse she received from pro-Palestinian users is perhaps the best evidence in support of holding Miss Universe in Israel.

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Featured Image: Rodrigo Varela/Getty Images

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Akiva Van Koningsveld

Akiva Van Koningsveld

Originally from The Hague, Akiva Van Koningsveld left The Netherlands for Israel in the fall of 2020. Before joining the HonestReporting team, he worked as a policy officer at the Center for Information and Documentation Israel, a Dutch organization dedicated to combating antisemitism and spreading awareness of the Arab-Israel conflict.

Akiva studied journalism at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht. In 2020, he graduated from Utrecht University with a law degree, focusing on the intersection of human rights and civil liability.

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