Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane returned home Wednesday after a triumphant finish in the top three of the Miss Universe competition in Israel — and had a strong message for anti-Israel activists who pressured her to boycott: “I will not be bullied.”
EILAT – Miss USA Elle Smith, who reached the top 10 on Monday’s Miss Universe pageant in Eilat, called Israel “wonderful” and vowed to be back.
The South African government is being urged to apologize to Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane after she finished in the top three of the Miss Universe competition in Israel on Sunday night — after her own country withdrew its support for her efforts because she would not boycott the Jewish state.
EILAT – Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe on Monday, in the 70th iteration of the beauty pageant which this year was mired in controversy over its location in Israel.
Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane finished second runner-up at the Miss Universe pageant on Sunday evening after defying calls by anti-Israel groups to boycott the competition, which was held in the Israeli resort town of Eilat, Israel.
EILAT, ISRAEL – Former Miss Israel and former Miss Iraq made a cameo at this year’s Miss Universe pageant in the southern Israeli town of Eilat, and spoke about the huge impact an impromptu selfie of the two had when they participated in the global beauty contest in 2017, including death threats and speeches at the United Nations.
Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane said if she had listened to the anti-Israel haters and her own government and not come to Israel for the Miss Universe pageant, she would have regretted it for the rest of her life even though she’s been “to hell and back,” the Jerusalem Post reported.
EILAT, ISRAEL – The security to access the port in the southern Israeli city of Eilat is so tight on Thursday, one would be forgiven for mistaking it for the site of a U.N. summit of world leaders, not the location of the 70th annual Miss Universe pageant.
Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane “may single-handedly have dismantled” the anti-Zionist BDS campaign by competing in Israel, Joel Pollak said.
Jerusalem’s deputy mayor hailed the South African Miss Universe hopeful, Lalela Mswane, for her bravery in defying the South African government’s call for her to boycott the annual pageant over its location in Israel.
If character is one of the criteria for judging Miss Universe, then Lalela Mswane has earned the crown — and she deserves to bring it back to South Africa, defying the haters once more. Where she has led, more will surely follow.
A Miss Universe contestant has tested positive for COVID-19 upon arriving in Israel, after the country decided to go ahead and host the beauty pageant despite barring entries to foreigners in a bid to fight the omicron variant.
Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane defied pressure from anti-Israel groups and even the South African government on Sunday and landed in Israel to represent her country in the Miss Universe pageant in the coastal Red Sea city of Eilat next month.
The South African government has called on its national beauty pageant winner to boycott this year’s Miss Universe contest due to its location in Israel, citing “atrocities against Palestinians.”
Miss South Africa, Lalela Mswane, will take part in the Miss Universe pageant in Israel despite attacks by anti-Israel activists calling on the beauty queen to boycott the event.