Wall Street Journal, December 14, 2017 OPINION REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Beauties and the Beasts
A selfie with Miss Iraq and Miss Israel generates ugly threats.
A picture posted by the Instagram profile of Sarah Idan on Nov. 14, who holds the title "Miss Iraq," as she is seen taking a "selfie" with Adar Gandelsman, who holds the title of "Miss Universe," with a caption reading: "Peace and Love from Miss Iraq and Miss Israel #missuniverse."
Like most of the Arab world, Iraq does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Yet no one can prevent friendship from breaking out between people who don’t accept that they must be enemies. Which is what happened at a beauty contest in Tokyo last month when Miss Iraq and Miss Israel took a selfie that was posted on Instagram with the simple caption “Peace and love from Miss Iraq and Miss Israel.”
Alas, the innocent photo kicked up some ugliness. Miss Iraq, Sarah Idan, soon came under attack for appearing with Miss Israel as well as for wearing a bikini. This week her new friend Miss Israel, Adar Gandelsman, said that Ms. Idan’s family had to flee their Iraqi homeland because of death threats.
“She’s a very intelligent girl and she did this so that people will understand that it’s possible to live together,” Ms. Gandelsman told Israel’s Channel 2 News. “In order for people to see that they can make a connection, at the end of the day, we’re both human beings.” Ms. Gandelsman added that because of death threats to her friend’s family, they had to leave Iraq “out of fear.”
Ms. Idan posted a note clarifying that the photo with Miss Israel was not a political statement, and that it did not mean she endorsed the policies of the Israeli government. But Ms. Gandelsman says her friend says she does not regret posting the photo. She pointedly has not removed it from her Instagram account.
Good for Ms. Idan. In a region where Israeli athletes are often slighted—last month at a judo tournament in Abu Dhabi officials refused to play the Israeli anthem or fly the Israeli flag after an Israeli won a gold medal—Miss Iraq has shown a better way forward. How much better everyone in the Middle East would be if politicians in the region had the decency and resolve that these two young women do.
A selfie with Miss Iraq and Miss Israel generates ugly threats.
A picture posted by the Instagram profile of Sarah Idan on Nov. 14, who holds the title "Miss Iraq," as she is seen taking a "selfie" with Adar Gandelsman, who holds the title of "Miss Universe," with a caption reading: "Peace and Love from Miss Iraq and Miss Israel #missuniverse."
Like most of the Arab world, Iraq does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. Yet no one can prevent friendship from breaking out between people who don’t accept that they must be enemies. Which is what happened at a beauty contest in Tokyo last month when Miss Iraq and Miss Israel took a selfie that was posted on Instagram with the simple caption “Peace and love from Miss Iraq and Miss Israel.”
Alas, the innocent photo kicked up some ugliness. Miss Iraq, Sarah Idan, soon came under attack for appearing with Miss Israel as well as for wearing a bikini. This week her new friend Miss Israel, Adar Gandelsman, said that Ms. Idan’s family had to flee their Iraqi homeland because of death threats.
“She’s a very intelligent girl and she did this so that people will understand that it’s possible to live together,” Ms. Gandelsman told Israel’s Channel 2 News. “In order for people to see that they can make a connection, at the end of the day, we’re both human beings.” Ms. Gandelsman added that because of death threats to her friend’s family, they had to leave Iraq “out of fear.”
Ms. Idan posted a note clarifying that the photo with Miss Israel was not a political statement, and that it did not mean she endorsed the policies of the Israeli government. But Ms. Gandelsman says her friend says she does not regret posting the photo. She pointedly has not removed it from her Instagram account.
Good for Ms. Idan. In a region where Israeli athletes are often slighted—last month at a judo tournament in Abu Dhabi officials refused to play the Israeli anthem or fly the Israeli flag after an Israeli won a gold medal—Miss Iraq has shown a better way forward. How much better everyone in the Middle East would be if politicians in the region had the decency and resolve that these two young women do.
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