The Miss Israel Organization has severed ties with Miss Israel 2025, Melanie Shiraz, and accused her of spreading “inaccurate and misleading claims,” according to a statement released by the organization on social media on Friday.
This comes after Shiraz spoke out against pageant organizers on Wednesday, claiming that the pageant was rigged and that the owner of the Miss Israel franchise, Edgar Entertainment, had threatened her to not speak out. 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.
The Miss Israel Organization stated that as of Friday, Shiraz is “no longer authorized to represent, speak on behalf of, or act in an official capacity for the Miss Israel Organization,” following a determination that it was “no longer possible to maintain an effective working relationship” with her.
The organization disputed Shiraz’s claims that she did not receive adequate financial support throughout the pageant and after she won.
Shiraz told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that Edgar Entertainment only agreed to cover the cost of a flight, sash, and crown for the titleholder. After winning the pageant, Shiraz stated that she was confronted with claims that she owed the organization thousands of dollars.
Shiraz said she later sought approximately $900 in reimbursement for taxis and baggage, which she understood had been agreed to beforehand. According to Shiraz, Saakyan instead warned that she could be responsible for $45,000 in competition-related costs that she said had been incurred before she was crowned. She also alleged that Saakyan threatened to strip her of the title after she launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of representing Israel.
While Shiraz acknowledged that she received some support from the organization, she said she ultimately carried a substantial portion of the financial burden associated with her role as Miss Israel, which she described as effectively a full-time responsibility.
Shiraz also said she raised concerns with the Miss Universe organization in February over what she described as “financial extortion,” but that her complaint was not addressed. She said she also warned the organization about the planned 2026 Miss Israel competition.
Miss Israel Organization disputes Shiraz's claims
Miss Israel Organization decried the accusation, stating that Shiraz “created the public impression that the titleholder had been left without organizational support.”
They claimed that throughout Shiraz’s tenure as Miss Israel, she received “extensive organizational support” that reached “beyond the standard obligations of the organization.”
Shiraz’s allegations, the organization claimed, created “repeated public controversies” and “generated reputational harm to the Miss Israel franchise.”
The organization asserted that it repeatedly sought solutions to Shiraz’s complaints, but its efforts to resolve the disputes were unsuccessful.
In the statement, the Miss Israel Organization stated that they consider the matter with Shiraz and “will remain focused on supporting the next generation of Israeli representatives rather than engaging in ongoing public disputes.”
Michael Starr contributed to this report.