India's Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe

Miss Universe 2021: India's Harnaaz Sandhu Wins the Miss Universe.

During the 70th Miss Universe competition in Eilat, Israel, India's Harnaaz Sandhu waves after winning Miss Universe 2021. [A/P: Schalit]

Harnaaz Sandhu of India is the winner of the Miss Universe contest. Harnaaz Sandhu, a 21-year-old model, won the contest influenced by politics and the pandemic over a field of more than 80 competitors. The annual event in Israel was complicated by a boycott headed by Palestinians and the appearance of the coronavirus omicron variant.

On Sunday, India's Harnaaz Sandhu has crowned the 70th Miss Universe, defeating out a field of 80 contestants in a pageant marred by politics and the pandemic.

Andrea Meza of Mexico, the previous Miss Universe, crowned her successor, a 21-year-old model, early Monday in the Israeli Red Sea resort town of Eilat. To fit the primetime schedule in the United States, the pageant was staged in the middle of the night, finishing at 5 a.m. local time (10 p.m. EST).

The pageant featured typical exhibits of national costumes, swimwear, and a series of interview questions designed to put competitors' public speaking skills to the test. The top ten wore beautifully beaded full-length gowns in gold, silver, or bronze.

Beatrice Luigi Gomez of the Philippines wore an asymmetrical cut garment with one sleeve, emphasizing a fresh tattoo she stated: "celebrates her womanhood."

Earlier to Sandhu, two Indians had won the Miss Universe title: Sushmita Sen in 1994 and Lara Dutta in 2000.

Sandhu participates in the Miss Universe pageant's National Costume section in Eilat, Israel. [AP Photo/Ariel Schalit]

However, the event has gotten a lot of attention in recent weeks for other reasons. In Palestine, the boycott is called the Miss Universe pageant.

A Palestinian-led social boycott has asked competitors to avoid the event in order to protest Israel's persecution of Palestinians.

"We urge all participants to withdraw, to prevent cooperation in Israel's apartheid government and its violation of Palestinian human rights," stated the Palestinian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.

The pageant's contestants arrived in Israel late last month and have since toured the country, drawing accusations for cultural insensitivity.

The candidates wore robes with traditional Palestinian embroidery while rolling grape leaves at one stop in the Bedouin city of Rahat, which Gomez described as a "Day in the life of a Bedouin."

The Bedouin are traditionally nomadic Palestinians who have long protested to the Israeli government about discrimination in housing and education.

Miss Morocco Kawtar Benhalima and Miss Bahrain Manar Nadeem Deyani were among the 80 finalists, both from Muslim-majority countries that normalized relations with Israel last year.

Only Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country with significant relations to the Palestinians, did not send a delegate, citing the worldwide Covid-19 issue. The South African government, which firmly supports the Palestinian cause, withdrew its backing for the country's envoy due to her participation.

Only Indonesia and Malaysia, which do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, did not send a delegate, citing the global COVID-19 situation rather than Israel's human rights record as the reason.

In an interview last month, Meza asked competitors to avoid politics during the pageant, stating that the event was intended to bring together women from various backgrounds. "You forget about politics and religion when you're in there," she told The Associated Press at the time.

South Africa, which is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, has withdrawn its support for the country's representative due to her participation, alleging "Israeli atrocities against Palestinians."

The United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel last year and welcomed Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on a historic visit on Sunday, did not send a candidate.

Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu of India's Crowning Moment.

The UAE, on the other hand, said that this was due to "time constraints" in choosing its national winner.

According to Sara Salansky of the Israeli Tourism Ministry, Israel was chosen to host the competition earlier this year due to its successful coronavirus vaccination program.

The arrival of the omicron variant, which forced Israel to close its borders to international tourists late last month, caused a last-minute glitch in the competition.

The majority of the Miss Universe contenders had already arrived in the nation when the new regulations took effect. Those who arrived subsequently, however, were granted special permission to enter, subject to a 72-hour quarantine period.

All candidates were tested for the coronavirus every 48 hours in the days leading up to Sunday's competition, and they were forced to wear masks.

Despite all of the precautions, Clemence Bottino, a candidate from France, tested positive for the coronavirus shortly after landing in Israel. She was declared virus-free last week after ten days in quarantine and allowed to return to the tournament.

Due to the pandemic, the pageant was postponed last year, and Meza was crowned in May for her brief reign.

Steve Harvey, a well-known American television personality, presented the competition on Sunday. The contest was scheduled to reach an estimated 600 million viewers in 172 countries via the FOX network, according to organizers.

H/Source: NBC