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, alleging that the pageant was rigged and that the owner of the Miss Israel franchise, Edgar Entertainment, had threatened her to not speak out.
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.
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.