Moroccan Beauty Queen Praises Unity and Diversity at Miss Universe Israel

"For me, Miss Universe was an extension of... the activities I wanted to pursue for myself, because Miss Universe is a platform that promotes unity, promotes social inclusion, promotes collaboration and empowerment," she explained to i24NEWS as the first Miss Universe Morocco since 1978. "It’s amazing, it’s so rich, it’s so diverse," said Kawtar Benhalima, adding that she felt very welcome by the Israeli people.

Saad Bennani, president and national director of the Miss Universe Morocco organization and Kawtar, say they have found frequent links with Morocco wherever they have gone in Israel, illustrating Israel’s ties with the kingdom through its Moroccan Jewish community. "Every time we said we were from Morocco, we found common links," Bennani said. "People would say their parents are Moroccan, or their grandmother is Moroccan, so it was always nice to hear those stories and connect through this Moroccan-Israeli link we have," he added.