Before the competition, there was heavy criticism of the event, South Africa even withdrew its support from its candidate. Now the winner of the beauty contest has been chosen in Israel.
Tel Aviv / Eilat – Harnaaz Sandhu from India stands on the stage in a silver, glittering, narrow dress and holds Miss Paraguay’s hands.
When presenter Steve Harvey announced that the 21-year-old Indian was “Miss Universe 2021”, there was no stopping her. Sandhu kneels and covers his face with a hand. Her predecessor puts a diadem on her. It’s the grand finale of the show in the Israeli coastal city of Eilat on the Red Sea.
A total of 80 women ran for the 70th “Miss Universe” election on Monday night. 19-year-old Eloisa Jo-Hannah Seifer from Düsseldorf took part for Germany. The event began at 3:00 a.m. Israeli time to be broadcast live in prime time on American television.
Sandhu’s advice: “Stop comparing yourself to others”
According to the organizers, the actress Sandhu was inspired by the work of the Indian film star Priyanka Chopra Jonas. She also worked with her mother, a gynecologist, in health camps, promoting women’s health and menstrual hygiene, it said. In her free time, the 21-year-old likes to dance, do yoga, cook, ride horses and play chess.
“Stop comparing yourself to others,” Sandhu advised other young women during the show. “Come out, speak for yourself because you lead your life, you are your own voice. I believed in myself and that’s why I’m here today. “
According to the organizers, a candidate from the United Arab Emirates entered the competition for “Miss Universe 2021” for the first time. In addition, a candidate from Morocco was there for the first time in more than four decades.
Israel signed an agreement on the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates last September. At the end of last year, the Jewish state also agreed to normalize relations with Morocco.
The new Miss Universe is…India!!!! #MISSUNIVERSE pic.twitter.com/DTiOKzTHl4
— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 13, 2021
In the run-up to the event, however, there was criticism from various quarters: The South African government withdrew its support for its own candidate in November after she continued to participate in the competition in Israel. South Africa has repeatedly criticized Israel for the occupation of the Palestinian territories.
In the past two weeks, relatives of Israelis living abroad have been increasingly outraged on social networks. They are currently unable to visit their families in Israel because the country closed its borders to tourists again at the end of November due to the omicron variant of the corona virus.
Special permits despite closed borders
Nevertheless, participants in the “Miss Universe” show and “key personnel” with special permits were still able to come into the country afterwards, as the organizers announced. One participant also tested positive for the corona virus after arriving in Israel.
Because of the corona pandemic, only viewers with a “green pass” could be present at the show – that is, if they have either recovered from Corona or have been vaccinated against it in the last six months. In addition, a mask was mandatory. According to the organizers, the production employees were all vaccinated and had to do PCR tests every two days.
The infection numbers for the coronavirus in Israel have been at a relatively low level for weeks. However, there have recently been warnings of a renewed increase in the number and the beginning of a new wave of infections. dpa
