Miss Israel says she has received death and sexual assault threats after a viral video claimed to show her giving a hostile glance to Miss Palestine during a Miss Universe event in Thailand.
Melanie Shiraz, twenty seven, told reporters she had faced relentless abuse online after the clip circulated widely on social media last week.
The footage, originally posted on the account of Miss Palestine Nadeen Ayoub, appeared to show Shiraz shooting a contemptuous look at her neighbour on stage.
Ayoub, who has faced questions for representing Palestine while living in Dubai, shared the video with a soundtrack that fuelled commentary accusing the Israeli contestant of jealousy and disdain.
Shiraz said the video had been edited to create a false narrative. She argued that she had been standing behind Ayoub and was not looking at her but at a photographer positioned toward her side.
Alternative angles from the same ceremony appear to confirm that the contestants were not side by side.
The Israeli contestant said the reaction had been overwhelming and frightening. She described the level of vitriol as isolating and said she had been assigned extra security in Thailand.
Among the messages she received were antisemitic slurs and threats invoking the Holocaust.
Supporters, including former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy, said the video had been manipulated to stir outrage and to portray the Miss Universe stage as an extension of geopolitical conflict.
Levy said the footage had been stitched together in a way that encouraged viewers to believe a confrontation had occurred.
Shiraz, a former advocate and data scientist, said she would continue with the competition despite the hostility.
She described the backlash as a reminder of the level of scrutiny and prejudice Jewish public figures often face, particularly in moments charged with political symbolism.
