Merely days before the preliminary competition and the pageant itself, the Miss Universe 2015 candidates caught the world's attention both in a positive and negative manner. The Miss Universe 2015 Swimsuit Runway Show held on the competition's host venue Doral, Florida, only made the world anticipate the competition more. But the competition this year is set to be challenging and dramatic. Last week, a photo that Miss Israel posted on Instagram stirred an international controversy and outrage.
On its 63rd year, the Miss Universe pageant is one of the most thrilling competitions of all time. This year, 88 ethereal beauties will battle for the crown and the title of being the most beautiful woman in the world.
The gorgeous ladies showed off their amazing figures as they walked the runway at the Yamamay swimsuit showcase held at Trump National Doral last January 14. Miss Philippines or Mary Jean Lastimosa is one of the contestants in the spotlight, being from a country whose representatives constantly made it to the top 5 of the competition since 2010.
But the road to the top 15 isn't as flawless as it seems. Last January 11, a group selfie of Miss Israel together with Miss Lebanon and two other contestants was posted on Instagram. This caused a commotion due to the strict rule of the Lebanese government for its citizens to be associated with the enemy country.
New York Post said that in 1993, the same incident happened to a Lebanese representative, Ghada al-Turk, wherein a photo of her together with an Israeli contender was released. Later on, her country dismissed her from her title.
In defense, Miss Lebanon or Saly Greige, she said, "I was very cautious to avoid being in any photo or communication with Miss Isreal, who tried several times to take a photo with me. I was having a photo with Miss Japan, Miss Slovenia, suddenly Miss Israel jumped in and took a selfie, and uploaded it on her social media." She immediately apologized and begged for her fans for their full support.
Miss Israel or Doron Matalon said on a post, "It doesn't surprise me, but it still makes me sad. Too bad you can not put the hostility out of the game, only for three weeks of an experience of a lifetime that we can meet girls from around the world and also from the neighboring country."
The Preliminary Competition will be held on January 21, 7pm ET and the final ceremony will be on January 25, 8pm on NBC live from FIU Arena.
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