Miss Lebanon in Hot Water after Selfie with Miss Israel
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Miss Universe contestants are keen to proclaim their desire for world peace, but this year's Miss Lebanon has declared war after claiming Miss Israel muscled in uninvited during a group "selfie."
Saly Greige took to her Facebook page to declare that Israel's Doron Matalon had pushed her way into a now widely-circulated photo showing the Middle Eastern beauties with Miss Japan and Miss Slovenia.
"Since the first day of my arrival to participate to Miss Universe, I was very cautious to avoid being in any photo or communication with Miss Israel (that tried several times to have a photo with me)," Greige wrote in English on her page.
"I was having a photo with Miss Japan, Miss Slovenia and myself, suddenly Miss Israel jumped in, took a selfie, and put it on her social media."
The offending photo, taken in Miami where the Miss Universe pageant is staged, appeared on Matalon's Instagram account on January 11.
It shows Miss Israel with a beaming Miss Slovenia and Miss Japan, and Miss Lebanon, who appears to be gritting her teeth.
Matalon responded to the controversy herself on Sunday, saying it made her "sad."
"It doesn't surprise me, but it still makes me sad. Too bad you can not put the hostility out of the game," she wrote in English and Hebrew.
Lebanese media picked up the story, running Greige's allegations that Matalon had "photobombed" the selfie, and local social media users both defended and attacked their beauty queen for the picture.
Israel occupied parts of Lebanon for 22 years until 2000, but the two countries are still technically at war and both armies occasionally skirmish along the U.N.-designated withdrawal line.
Israel fought a bloody war against Lebanon's Hizbullah in 2006, which killed more than 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and some 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
18 January 2015, 22:49
86
Still shows the israeli nature, they cant help sneaking into places they dont belong, uninvited.
"I was having a photo with Miss Japan, Miss Slovenia and myself, suddenly Miss Israel jumped in, took a selfie, and put it on her social media."
19 January 2015, 03:16
13
You know it's about time we let people meet each other. Because deep down inside we are all human. There are good people and bad people on all sides.
18 January 2015, 18:31
66
I was very cautious to avoid being in any photo or communication with Miss Israel.. why?
18 January 2015, 20:11
32
Yes and according la Tipsy Mysti and hassouna we have won the war !!!!
1200 Leb and 160 Israelis .
Not so good in Maths !!!!!
18 January 2015, 22:49
84
And surely you'll deny you're a stinky israeli, right? You ugly thing
18 January 2015, 23:19
21
Typical jew, sneaking in everywhere just to be seen with the beautiful Lebanese woman.
18 January 2015, 23:47
01
why all this fuss? both are ordinary people. lets put the politics aside.
19 January 2015, 00:50
12
Young beautiful ladies clearly enjoying each others company...No one was jumping into any photo... This should be a bridge to better relations, instead Miss Lebanon is afraid after threats from home...A picture of women living in the moment free of sectarian divide and conflict...Men should learn from women..
19 January 2015, 01:12
42
we need to attack Israel it is not acceptable that we let this photo bomber get away with this....
Forget about all the innocent woman and children getting rapped and killed this photo is a declaration of war!
Long Live The Syrian Civil War..
19 January 2015, 01:48
43
Norma jean for president...and we will have a president who will be Miss Universe. I vote for her !!!
19 January 2015, 01:59
23
A photo with the enemy implies that you have said "Hi" to the enemy. If you have said "Hi" to the enemy it implies there is collusion. If there is collusion this implies you are collabrating with the enemy. If you are collaborating with the enemy this implies you are a spy. If you are a spy this implies you are delivering secrets to the enemy. If you are delivering secrets to the enemy, this implied that you know some secrets. If you know some secrets, this implies you belong to an important group....like Ebola....which is already collaborating with Syria, which is collaborating with the enemy.
19 January 2015, 11:18
00
Well, not worse than those who traded this country for gold by selling it to Syrians, Iranians, Saudi Arabians who plundered our soils, desecrated the sanctity of our land, not worse than those who forgot those who were dragged from their homes to Al Mazzeh syrian prison not be heard of again while many of our prominent politicians delivered them to the hands of their enemies. Not worse than anyone of us we that we call ourselves citizens while we have no loyalty because we have been mercenaries in our country.
