Miss Universe Palestine's 'co-existence' dress delights fans, draws scorn from Israelis

Palestine's Miss Universe contestant showcased her country's heritage at the competition in Bangkok with a dress featuring images of the Dome of the Rock and the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Miss Palestine Nadine Ayoub wore the dress, made by Palestinian designer Nevin Al-Qadi, during the competition's national costume segment.

The two-piece dress was embroidered in green and gold with a traditional Palestinian tatreez design. As well as featuring the Muslim and Christian holy sites, the dress also showed other national symbols of Palestine, including the keys to Jerusalem's gates and olive branches.

On social media, Ayoub explained that the hand-painted images of the holy sites represented "coexistence and unity ", while the traditional embroidery was inspired by Palestinian villages.

Another post on her official Instagram account described the dress as a "celebration of our Palestinian heritage, standing strong, shining proudly, and proving to the world that our culture lives, thrives, and tells a story of resilience".

The dress drew thousands of responses in support, with many social media users praising the design.

"You are the winner of Miss Universe regardless of who the committee chose. You spoke up and stood up for an entire nation that has been dismissed for over a century," wrote one Instagram user.

"Whatever happens, you are our winner," said another.

Others took humorous digs at her Israeli competitor.

"Stunning! Be careful, Miss Israel might steal your dress," wrote one Instagram user.

While the dress drew praise from her fans, the symbols of Palestine that it featured appeared to anger the Israeli audience.

"Miss Palestine sparks outrage with Dome of the Rock dress at Miss Universe", read the headline of a story by Israeli news outlet Israel Hayom.

The article cited angry responses from Israelis, including some who claimed that Palestine "doesn't exist".

Ayoub, who was crowned Miss Palestine in 2022, is Palestine's first-ever contestant in the competition.