los angeles (ynet) | Peace reigned at the Miss Universe 2006 contest, where Miss Lebanon and Miss Israel became the “best of friends” despite the bloody fighting between the two countries back home, their companions said.
Even as missiles wrought destruction in both Lebanon and Israel, the two women — Gabrielle Bou Rached of Lebanon and Israel’s Anastacia Entin — struck up a friendship during the competition, which concluded Sunday, July 23. Though neither won (Miss Puerto Rico took the crown), their friendship was celebrated by many other competitors.
“I think the perpetrators of the current Middle East crisis could learn a few lessons from Miss Lebanon and Miss Israel, who are the best of friends here,” said Miss Germany, Natalia Ackerman.
The contest didn’t allow much room for warring, with contestants from 86 countries this year crammed into the same Los Angeles hotel for a month, with a rigorous schedule of rehearsals. The women, mostly in their early 20s, often become friends based on geographic nearness and shared languages.
Entin and Rached were pulled together by the force of shared cultures — smiling and posing for pictures together — even though Rached’s presence sparked a protest by Lebanese Muslims July 19 in front of the downtown Los Angeles hotel.
The protest had no effect and the organizers avoided talking about it, but some contestants said the two Mideast women’s friendship set an example for the world.
“The fact that Miss Lebanon and Miss Israel can be friends … people can see that it sets a wonderful example,” said Alice Panikian, Miss Canada. “Something similar happens between Miss Greece and Miss Turkey, whose countries also do not get along,” she pointed out.
Rached, 20, a tall brunette with dark Arab looks, was born in Beirut. She is studying for a master’s degree in language interpretation, hoping to work for the United Nations.
Her blonde Israeli counterpart Entin, 21, came from Ukraine and immigrated to Israel when she was 13. She plans to enter college next year and study psychology.
Organizers of the show say it is not just the two who have bridged enmity and prejudices back home.
Every year, they noted, there are more competitors from Muslim cultures — India, Nigeria, Indonesia and Lebanon, for instance — even though their posing in swimsuits and bikinis raises the ire of some of their more conservative compatriots back home.