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| Miss Israel Faces Death Threats After Viral Video at Miss Universe 2025. |
Miss Israel, Melanie Shiraz, has spoken out after receiving a wave of death and rape threats following a viral video from the Miss Universe 2025 stage in Bangkok, Thailand. The short clip showed her appearing to give a hostile look toward Miss Palestine, Nadine Ayoub, sparking massive backlash across social media.
The incident exploded at a time when global tensions surrounding the Israel–Palestine conflict are already extremely high. According to the 27-year-old contestant, the harassment and threats began just hours after the video spread online.
Melanie said she wasn’t sure whether the footage was edited, but she believes the viral clip was at least cropped and stitched in a way that made it look like she was intentionally staring at Miss Palestine.
She explained that her social media accounts were suddenly flooded with hateful comments and short videos showing her standing “right next to” Nadine. At first, Melanie thought the clips were AI-generated, but later realized the distorted camera angle made it appear as though she was positioned much closer to Miss Palestine than she actually was.
While Melanie already expected criticism simply for representing Israel on the pageant stage, she never imagined it would escalate into explicit rape and death threats.
According to her, some messages included horrifying statements wishing she would end up like “a hostage who was raped and shot in the head.” Melanie said the hate has reached a level she never thought possible for a beauty contestant.
Despite the rising tension, Melanie said she genuinely hoped to have a positive and respectful interaction with Nadine Ayoub. She even wished they could take a photo together to show the world that two women from opposing sides of a conflict could stand as symbols of peace.
Melanie also emphasized that footage taken from other angles clearly shows she was standing far behind Miss Palestine, making it impossible for her gaze to be directed at Nadine as portrayed in the viral clip.
Even with the hate and harassment she has faced, Melanie remains determined to continue her Miss Universe journey. She admitted that being a Jewish woman and an Israeli representative during this period is extremely challenging, as anything she does can trigger negative reactions.
But instead of discouraging her, the experience has strengthened her belief that her presence in the competition matters. Melanie said she refuses to lose focus and is using the situation as motivation.
The 74th Miss Universe competition, featuring 121 contestants from around the world, is still underway in Thailand. The grand final is scheduled for Friday, November 21, 2025.
