JOEL B. POLLAK Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane finished second runner-up at the Miss Universe pageant on Sunday evening after defying calls by anti-Israel groups to boycott the competition, which was held in the Israeli resort town of Eilat, Israel.
Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu, an early favorite, took the top spot as Miss Universe, with Miss Paraguay as first runner-up.
Mswane said earlier that she had been “to hell and back” over her decision to compete in Israel, after anti-Israel groups in South Africa affiliated with the global “boycott, divestment, sanctions” (BDS) movement — which has been called antisemitic, for singling out Israel alone for criticism — put intense pressure on her to withdraw.
Even the South African government withdrew its support for her candidacy.
But Mswane stressed dialogue over conflict — a theme that played out on Sunday with the participation of several Arab countries in the competition, and the surprising first-ever visit of an Israeli prime minister to the United Arab Emirates.
Her strong finish in the competition vindicates her decision to compete — and puts the South African government in an awkward position: it cannot congratulate her for her success without noting that it did everything to stand in her way.
