Israeli Melanie Shiraz Asor was crowned "Miss Israel" on Saturday night and will represent the country at the international Miss Universe pageant.
The pageant, now in its second year under its current format, is organized by Edgar Saakyan, owner of Edgar Entertainment, with the support of the Israeli Consulate. It replaces the iconic "Beauty Queen of Israel" contest, which for years launched the careers of many Israelis.
Though intended to select a representative for Israel at Miss Universe, the Israeli competition has for the second consecutive year been held in Miami.
Shiraz Asor, 26, competed as "Miss Caesarea". She is an Israeli Berkeley-educated tech professional, entrepreneur and content creator with a background in innovation, public diplomacy, and the arts.
She succeeds Miss Israel 2024, Ofir Korsia, who represented Israel last year with distinction. The official Miss Universe pageant will be held this November in Thailand.
