The next Miss Israel may not be Israeli and may be part of a rigged competition, according to Miss Israel 2025 Melanie Shiraz, who warned that the same franchise holder that had allegedly subjected her to threats and extortion was stripping the institution of its Israeli character.
From the small pool of preselected candidates, only one had recently acquired Israeli citizenship. Shiraz understood that the new Miss Israel would be asked by the franchise owner, Edgar Entertainment, to apply for Israeli citizenship before the Miss Universe competition.
For the past two years, the competition ran out of Miami, rather than Israel, and encouraged non-Israeli Jews to apply.
“I represented Israel during one of the most difficult periods in our country’s history. That’s why it has been deeply upsetting to watch the title become increasingly disconnected from Israel itself,” said Shiraz. “A title called Miss Israel should belong to Israelis and give voice to the people whose story it is supposed to tell. If it no longer does, then what exactly does Miss Israel mean anymore?”
Becoming Miss Israel meant becoming a public ambassador for the state at a time when it was facing challenges to its history and right to exist, explained Shiraz, a responsibility that she contended required a thorough understanding of Israeli culture, society, and the Hebrew language.
Edgar Entertainment plots to stage pageant-like selection of Miss Universe candidate
According to a recording of an Edgar Entertainment meeting reviewed by The Jerusalem Post, a candidate would be “selected” in an event made to appear like a pageant competition, with a producer suggesting that the company may have done the same for the Estonian and Armenian competitions.
“I know some other countries. I believe that we did last year with Estonia, they made it look like a pageant; and we did it with Armenia, they made it look like a pageant – this year, it’s going to be something a little bit different,” said a producer. “For us, the surprise element was a big thing, because we look at a lot of these crowning moments and there is no excitement or joy or surprise element behind winning like in a real pageant. So, we did want to have that moment of excitement of you didn’t know you were going to win, and now, you won.”
Shiraz said that a predetermined outcome was as troubling as the process, which was supposed to be a space for new Israeli women to be discovered and identified as the country’s best representatives.
“The candidates planned to be presented to the public, including a winner who appears to have been effectively predetermined, are limited to a small group of women who were already known to the organization, none of whom were Israeli citizens at the time they applied for the title, and none of whom speak Hebrew,” said Shiraz.
“Any participant who knowingly takes part in a process that appears to have abandoned the principles of a genuine national competition, lacks transparency, and excludes genuine Israeli voices must ultimately decide whether the responsibility of representing Israel is greater than the personal opportunity being offered. But the responsibility rests first and foremost with the director and leadership overseeing the process, who appear far more willing to diminish the integrity of Israel’s representation than to fulfill their duty to protect it.”
Shiraz threatened with retaliation for speaking up
Miss Israel 2025 described an emptying of the event’s Israeli character by a non-Israeli and non-Jewish franchise owner in a competition held outside of the Jewish state. The same franchise owner allegedly threatened to retaliate and strip her of her title whenever she spoke out on behalf of Israel.
Shiraz alleged that the candidates were told that they had to agree to participate under Spartan conditions due to a lack of resources. This was reportedly typical of the franchise holder’s support for titleholders, as Shiraz shared that Edgar Entertainment had only agreed to provide a flight, sash, crown, and find designers who would work for free.
When she opened a GoFundMe fundraiser to cover expenses, Miss Israel franchise owner Edgar Saakyan allegedly told her to publicly disown the fundraiser as “unauthorized” and threatened to strip her of the title. The fundraiser supposedly cast Edgar Entertainment in a poor light for not supporting her.
Saakyan allegedly sought the funds that she raised, threatening Shiraz that she would need to pay the company to cover expenses after she asked to be refunded for taxis and baggage. When Shiraz asked to be reimbursed $900 according to prior agreements, Saakyan reportedly warned that she may instead have to pay him $45,000 in competition costs – which were reportedly unrelated to her participation, and incurred before she was crowned.
“While some support was provided, I ultimately found myself carrying a substantial portion of the financial burden associated with representing Israel. At the same time, I was repeatedly told that this role was effectively a full-time responsibility and that outside work opportunities would need to be limited in order to prioritize my obligations as Miss Israel,” Shiraz recalled. “It felt as though projecting the image of a well-resourced and financially solvent organization was the primary goal. Meeting the obligations that come with operating a national competition and properly preparing a representative to compete on the world stage did not seem to be a consideration at all. I was later confronted with claims that I could owe tens of thousands of dollars under an agreement that I never signed, and some of the most serious threats I received came immediately after I pursued fundraising efforts to cover the costs of representing my country.”
Shiraz's complaints to Miss Universe ignored
The beauty queen sent a complaint in February to the Miss Universe organization, expressing concern about “financial extortion,” but she said that she had been ignored. She also reported the plans for a misleading Miss Israel competition in 2026, but she said these warnings had likewise been ignored.
Miss Universe had also reportedly ignored her concerns throughout the competition when she was subjected to hostility and targeted because she was Israel’s representative.
“What makes it even more troubling is that the same director remains in control of the franchise despite repeated complaints, while other parties have reportedly expressed interest in operating the franchise and restoring confidence in its leadership,” said Shiraz. “Miss Universe frequently speaks about protecting women, empowering women, and ensuring that contestants have a voice. Those are values I believe in deeply. But when a titleholder comes forward with documented concerns about her treatment, about the conduct of her director, and about the integrity of the process, those values have to be reflected in action, not just language.”
Saakyan, Edgar Entertainment, and Miss Universe did not immediately respond to requests for comment.