Palestinian, Israeli girls to model for peace

Daily Times, Pakistan
June 15 2004

Palestinian and Israeli beauties are set to hit the catwalk together
later this week at a beauty contest, which aims at building bridges
between the two estranged communities, organisers told AFP.

Two Arab and 15 Jewish contestants will compete in the Miss Seamline
contest which is to take place in Gilo, a south Jerusalem neighbourhood
built on Palestinian land annexed by Israel after the 1967 Middle
East war, organiser Uzi Nagar said.

Contestants from Gilo, the southern West Bank town of Bethlehem and
the neighbouring villages of Beit Sahour and Beit Jala, will enjoy
an evening of Jewish and Arab music before going on stage in a bid
to win a weekend in either Paris or London.

Organisers initially had eight Arab contestants, but the number dropped
to two, Nagar said. One is a 20-year-old Palestinian student of French
from Beit Jala, while the second is a 21-year-old Armenian Christian
from occupied east Jerusalem.

“This is a very special contest which we began organising three months
ago,” Nagar said.

“The aim is to promote dialogue between Palestinian and Israeli girls
through universal means like fashion and beauty,” he said. “It is
for everyone.” afp