Miss Universe in Israel came and went, and it seems that besides Miss India, one of the big winners was Israel. But don’t take my word for it, take Ha’aretz‘s!
There was, however, something less positive that occurred (besides all the BDS-BS), which you did not notice.
The below clip featuring former Miss Iraq Sarah Idan and her friend, former Miss Israel Adar Gendelsman, was filmed for the contest.
One would have thought this pre-filmed message of co-existence was perfect for the telecast. But it was inexplicably cut out at the last minute.
The question is why?
I did notice that the Lebanese Mouawad family is one of the contest’s sponsors.
I am not sure where they stand on Israel, but the New York Times did report the following in 2011:
In all, hundreds of millions of dollars a year sloshed through the accounts, held mainly by Shiite Muslim businessmen in the drug-smuggling nations of West Africa, many of them known Hezbollah supporters, trading in everything from rough-cut diamonds to cosmetics and frozen chicken, according to people with knowledge of the matter in the United States and Europe. The companies appeared to be serving as fronts for Hezbollah to move all sorts of dubious funds, on its own behalf or for others.
The system allowed Hezbollah to hide not only the sources of its wealth, but also its involvement in a range of business enterprises. One case involved perhaps the richest land deal in Lebanon’s history, the $240 million purchase late last year of more than 740 pristine acres overlooking the Mediterranean in the religiously diverse Chouf region.
The seller was a jet-set Christian jeweler, Robert Mouawad, whose clientele runs from Saudi royalty to Hollywood royalty. The buyer, at least on paper, was a Shiite diamond dealer, Nazem Said Ahmad.
In fact, according to people knowledgeable about Beirut real estate, the development corporation’s major investor was a relative of a former Hezbollah commander, Ali Tajeddine.
Could Mouawad have seen the planned video and had it pulled before it was to be shown?
I know I am grasping at straws, but it just doesn’t make sense that Miss Universe would decide to specifically cut that particular clip – with its positive message of co-existence and normalization – at the last minute.
