Miss Universe in Israel

Harassed or vilified by many radical feminist organisations, the annual contest to designate the most beautiful woman in the world is, in its 70th edition, adding more than a few controversies, at the same time, or perhaps because of this, that it is also becoming a powerful weapon of diplomacy and public relations. 

Israel, and the seaside resort of Eilat, is the setting for this Sunday's election, with 82 candidates competing. It is a showcase not only of female beauty but also, through it, of the changes in geopolitics in recent years. 

The first thing to note is that this is happening in Israel, until recently considered the spearhead enclave of Western civilisation in a hostile region. It is happening, moreover, at a time when the coronavirus pandemic seems to be resurgent due to the omicron virus. These are two circumstances in which Israel has nonetheless seen opportunities: to demonstrate its ability to turn old hostilities into cooperative alliances, and to showcase its achievements in the fight against the pandemic; not for nothing is it the world's leading country in both the implementation of palliative measures and mass vaccination of the population. 

The recent restoration of relations between Israel and Morocco has opened the door for a representative of the Alawite kingdom to once again compete for the title of Miss Universe, which has not happened for 43 years. It will be Kawtar Benhalima Benjelloum who will not only carry the flag for her country, but also answer questions that have little or nothing to do with the stereotype of beautiful but very limited women, or even the very old-fashioned silly women. 

The United Arab Emirates also came close to competing in this competition for the first time. In fact, the enthusiasm to obtain their representation resulted in 12,000 Emirati women aspiring to the elimination rounds, of which 300 had already been pre-selected, before the competition's delegation in Dubai announced the cancellation of the selection process on 7 November, citing a "material lack of time to complete all the required tests". 

In all cases, in addition to displaying their outward beauty, the candidates have to pass exhaustive interviews on the most burning issues of the day, including, of course, those of a political nature. The intellectual level of this year's cast of contestants has been raised considerably, if measured by their university education and the additional academic qualifications or equivalents held by almost all of the 82 contestants. 

Controversy and strong criticism, both of the pageant itself and of the venue, have been rife, most of it on the grounds of the situation of the Palestinian people. But, as was the case just over two years ago, on the occasion of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Israel, the current government, headed by Naphtali Bennett, has seen fit not to miss the opportunity to show the power of an Israel in complete transformation to the 140 countries that have already contracted the live or recorded broadcast of Miss Universe 2021. Already this week, contestants have been posing and showing off in iconic locations such as the Dead Sea, touting its qualities as probably the oldest spa on the planet and the skin-purifying effect of exfoliation in the world's saltiest waters. 

Detractors of the Miss Universe pageant have focused on the alleged "objectification" of women, and pointed to the fact that Donald Trump owned the rights to the brand. A half-truth, since the former president of the United States was indeed the owner of the company that organised the contest for twenty years, but sold all the shares in 2015, just a year before taking office in the White House. 

What has not changed much in the contest, launched in 1952 by a Californian swimming costume brand, is the favour given by the betting, also in this edition in Israel, to the representatives of Ibero-America. The flag bearers from Paraguay, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia and Venezuela are all in the running to succeed the current queen, Andrea Reza of Mexico. Spain will compete with the Basque Sárah Loinaz Marjaní, who also has Moroccan roots, while the hosts will compete in the person of Noa Cochva.