The annual Miss Universe beauty pageant will take place in Israel for the first time this December, organizers announced Tuesday.
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The Miss Universe Organization said that the contest will be held this December in the southern resort city of Eilat. The Israeli bid to hold the event goes back two years and has been complicated by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, which slowed negotiations.
Steve Harvey will once again host the three-hour event, which will be broadcast in 180 countries. It will end with the current Miss Universe, Mexico's Andrea Meza, crowning her successor.
Meza, a former software engineer, has advocated for women's rights and is also encouraging people to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Soon after she was named Miss Universe, Meza invited the media to cover her first vaccination shot in New York.
In a statement released by the Miss Universe Organization, Meza said she hopes "as many people as possible" get vaccinated so they can participate in the 70th Miss Universe contest.
Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov welcomed the announcement.
"The Miss Universe pageant is undoubtedly an important and significant event, and it will be held in Israel in accordance with all the coronavirus safety guidelines required," he said.
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