Miss India, Harnaaz Sandhu, was crowned Miss Universe in the Israeli city of Eilat, on the night of Sunday to Monday, during a contest marked by calls for boycott in support of the Palestinian cause.
The 70th edition of the annual competition, which was held for the first time in Israel, also had to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, and in particular the emergence of the Omicron variant.
The new Miss Universe is … India !!!! #MISSUNIVERSE pic.twitter.com/DTiOKzTHl4
– Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 13, 2021
Harnaaz Sandhu won the supreme honor on the shores of the Red Sea, edging out Miss Paraguay, Nadia Ferreira, and Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane. The French Clémence Botino has climbed into the Top 10.
This edition was also marked by calls for a boycott. In an interview in Jerusalem in November, 2021 Miss Universe Andrea Meza of Mexico said the contest should stay away from politics. “Miss Universe is not a political or religious movement,” she said.
600 million viewers were expected
Indonesia and Malaysia, countries which do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, did not send any candidates, but spoke of difficulties linked to the pandemic.
Among the contestants were Miss Morocco Kaouthar Benhalima and Miss Bahrain Manar Nadeem Deyani, whose countries normalized their relations with Israel last year.
According to organizers’ estimates, the coronation ceremony was to be watched by 600 million viewers in 172 countries.
