The 2015 Miss Universe pageant has sparked more than its usual share of geopolitical controversy. The Lebanese government is threatening to disqualify its beauty queen, Saly Greige, after she appeared in a selfie taken by the representative of Lebanon’s “sworn enemy,” Doron Matalon, Miss Israel:

(Matalon is at far left, with Greige beside her)

Via the NY Post:

“Since the first day of my arrival to participate to Miss Universe, I was very cautious to avoid being in any photo or communication with Miss Israel ([who] tried several times to have a photo with me),” this year’s Miss Lebanon Saly Greige, who​ is set to compete in ​the Miss Universe contest​ in Miami​ on Jan. 25, wrote on her Facebook. . . .
In 1993, the country stripped its Miss Lebanon, Ghada al-Turk, of her title after Agence France Press distributed a photo of her smiling arm-in-arm with her Israeli contender.
This time around, the Lebanese government has vowed to “launch an investigation” and will decide this week whether the offensive photo will get her crown snapped, too.
That’s exactly what Miss Israel was shooting for, said Miss Lebanon’s delusional agent, who likened the beauty to a stealthy saboteur, stalking his client with her camera drawn before she “photo-bombed” Greige standing with Miss Japan and Miss Slovenia, according to Lebanese media.

The whole thing is unfortunate. After all, don’t all the contestants really just want world peace?

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