Dozens of glistening competitors took the stage for an annual bodybuilding and fitness competition in Tel Aviv last week.
Almost 80 contestants participated in 14 categories in this year's Israel's National Amateur Body-Builders' Association competition.
But behind the scenes, machismo made way for cooperation.
Backstage, the mood was one of camaraderie. In the run-up to the flex-off, Jews and Arabs, men and women, young and old from around the country, worked together ahead of the big show.
"There is no politics whatsoever in the sport," said Yoni Hanna, president of the Israeli chapter of the National Amateur Body-Builders' Association.
Exhausted from weeks of strict dieting and last-minute exertions, the muscle-bound athletes primped, painted and prepped before taking the stage. Some waited over eight hours for their chance to strut their stuff before the panel of judges.
This year's men's winner, 25-year-old Or Magdasi of Tel Aviv, beamed, veins bulging, as he lifted his trophy. In the women's contest, Isabell Svatovich notched up her second consecutive win in the competition.
Magdasi will get a shot at representing Israel at the 2019 Mr. Universe competition in the United Kingdom.
Hanna, also a former Mr. Israel, says there has been growing interest in fitness and bodybuilding in Israel in recent years, and that the turnout at this year's competition far exceeded expectations.
