Miss Universe 2021 to be held in Israel

The 2021 Miss Universe contest will be held in Israel in December, the organisation announced on Tuesday.

“70 years! The 70th Miss Universe competition is heading to Eilat, Israel! Miss Universe will air live around the world December 2021,” the organisation wrote on Twitter.

70 YEARS! 👑 The 70th #MISSUNIVERSE competition is heading to ….Eilat, Israel! 🎉 MISS UNIVERSE will air live around the world December 2021.

Stay tuned for more information or visit https://t.co/25sAUG0jBb pic.twitter.com/gX0XAPXfUg

— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) July 20, 2021

Palestinian activists have called this “another attempt at whitewashing Israel’s war crimes that must be vigorously condemned & brought to a stop!” Others have called for the event to be cancelled or moved.

While one South African Twitter user wondered: “@Official_MissSA I hope you’re not going to send our queen to compete in an apartheid state given the history of this country and of Miss SA itself.”

@Official_MissSA I hope you're not going to send our queen to compete in an apartheid state given the history of this country and of Miss SA itself.

— Mnk… Hhhay' (@_Moonie23__) July 20, 2021

Eilat was built on the remenants of the Palestinian town of Umm Al-Rashrash in 1949.

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