JERUSALEM (AP) — Isang tila inosenteng selfie sa Miss Universe pageant sa Miami ang nagbunsod ng matinding batikos sa Lebanon dahil tampok dito ang nakangiting si Miss Lebanon katabi si Miss Israel. Ipinaskil ng Israeli beauty queen, si Doron Matalon, ang litrato na kasama rin ang mga kinatawan ng Japan, Slovenia at Lebanon sa kanyang Instagram account. Ang resulta? Naglunsad ng pormal na imbestigasyon ang gobyernong Lebanese sa itinuturing nitong eskandalo.
Sinabi ni Lebanese Tourism Minister Michel Pharon sa The Associated Press na “if there was bad intentions” mula kay Saly Greige, papatawan siya ng kaukulang parusa. Sa kanyang depensa sinab ni Miss Lebanon na siya ay na-photo-bombed.
Sinabi naman ni Matalon na ang joint photo ay genuine at nalulungkot na nalalagay sa alanganin si Greige sa kanyang bansa.
“I hope for change and I hope for peace between us, and even just for three weeks, just between me and her,” aniya sa NBC News. “We need to remember that we represent the country and the people, not the government and not the political issues.”
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Inuulan ng batikos dahil sa pakikipagkaibigan sa kaaway, idinepensa ni Greige ang sarili sa Facebook.
“The truth behind the photo: 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 (that tried several times to have a photo with me),” sulat niya. “Suddenly Miss Israel jumped in, took a selfie, and put it on her social media.”
Sa isang pahayag, sinabi ng Miss Universe Organization na “it is unfortunate to know a photo of four smiling women from different parts of the world, working together at an event, could be misconstrued as anything other than what it is, a celebration of universal friendship."
