The family of Miss Iraq had to flee Baghdad over death threats received after the beauty queen appeared in a selfie with Miss Israel.
The picture of Sarah Idan, 27, and Adar Gandelsman, 19, from Ashkelon, Israel, was taken at the Miss Universe contest in Tokyo last month. Ms Idan posted the selfie on Instagram with the caption: “Peace and Love from Miss Iraq and Miss Israel”.
Critics accused her of undermining the Palestinian cause and she apologised, saying the picture was not meant to be a political commentary on the conflict.
According to her Miss Universe profile, Ms Gandelsman is a second year soldier in the Israeli Defence Force and “passionate about her duties”.
Ms Idan’s decision to appear in a bikini for the swimsuit portion of the Miss Universe contest put her in conservative Iraqis’ crosshairs. She lives in Los Angeles and told Hadashot news in Israel that her family had been forced to flee Iraq.
Read the full article by Boer Deng of The Times at The Australian (subscription only).