For the first time in its history, the prestigious Miss Universe beauty pageant will be held in Israel this December. The city of Eilat was chosen to be the host city of the competition, which will mark its 70th anniversary this year.
Israeli producer Tali Eshkoli and Los Angeles-based producer Assaf Blecher are responsible for bringing the Miss Universe pageant to Israel, which will be run by the Miss Universe organization in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and the Eilat Municipality.
"I fully hope that in December we will be celebrating not only the new Miss Universe here in Israel, but most importantly, the end of the world pandemic," said Israel Minister of Tourism Yoel Razvozov in a statement.
From the end of November, candidates from all over the world will arrive in Israel for three weeks of TV events, broadcast live around the world. These include the semi-final and final events, the national costume show, and other gala events such as the red-carpet event, events in the community, charity events, and more.
The 70th Miss Universe Competition will once again be hosted by legendary entertainer Steve Harvey.
The choice of Israel as the host country once again underscores Israel’s attractiveness, its rich history and the wide variety of spectacular tourist and resort sites that Israel has to offer pageant viewers around the world.
"We in Israel are delighted to host the 70th-anniversary celebrations of the iconic Miss Universe pageant. Israel is a beautiful land of creativity and innovation and we have successfully faced the COVID-19 crisis head-on. Therefore, today we are among the first countries to host an international event – the unifying Miss Universe," Razvozov added.
The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is a global community that empowers women to realize their goals through experiences that build self-confidence and create opportunities for success.
The organization’s programs provide the women who participate an international platform to affect positive change through influential humanitarian and professional efforts. The contestants and titleholders are leaders and role models in their communities, develop personal and professional goals, and inspire others to do the same.
“What a great opportunity to host Ms. Universe this December in Israel. I know that some Filipinos were crowned with this prestigious competition. I wish all participants good health and good luck and I look forward in seeing you all soon," Tourism Director for India and the Philippines Sammy Yahia said.
Meanwhile, Tali Eshkoli, Miss Universe producer in Israel, said the country "proves that it stands alongside leading countries in the world that are capable of hosting international events of such significant size."
"Without a doubt, we have a great and extraordinary opportunity to expose Israel to hundreds of millions of viewers around the world, and I thank the Ministry of Tourism and the Eilat Municipality for their fruitful cooperation,"
"Israel has been on our shortlist of host countries for a number of years due to its rich history, beautiful landscapes, myriad of cultures and appeal as a global tourist destination,” Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization stated.
“As we sought an impressive location for our 70th-anniversary celebration, it became clear through our conversations with acting mayor Lankri and the Israeli Ministry that Israel has the best resources to host MISS UNIVERSE in December," she added.
So far, the Philippines has four Filipina Miss Universe: Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margie Moran in 1973, Pia Wurtzbach in 2015, and Catriona Gray in 2018.
