Miss Israel criticised after publicising encounter with NYC First Lady Rama Duwaji

Miss Israel, Melanie Shiraz, has faced criticism after publicly recounting an interaction with New York City’s First Lady, Rama Duwaji, over her anti-Israel stance.

Zohran Mamdani’s wife, Duwaji, whose an artist, illustrator, and activist known for her outspoken views and pro-Palestine advocacy online, has frequently used her platform to comment on humanitarian and political issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Shiraz explained that she was in New York attending the Israeli Consulate’s Independence Day celebration when she unexpectedly encountered Duwaji at a cafe.

“I was having a coffee a few hours before that, just getting ready for the event, and none other than Rama Duwaji walks in the very same cafe”, she shared.

She added that Duwaji ended up sitting next to her, prompting her to approach the First Lady directly.

She said, “I have seen the rhetoric that this woman has been posting constantly. I have been wanting to speak out about it, and now I have an insane opportunity to be able to do so face to face with her”.

“So I thought to myself, I don’t know how kind she is to the average person, so I’m going to introduce myself just as Melanie. She was very, very smiley and I asked if we could take a photo and she was willing to”, said Shiraz.

She added, “Once I told her I was Israeli and Miss Israel, she very quickly changed her demeanor. She was still very polite and cordial because that’s her job as the first lady. I suppose”.

Shiraz said she attempted to continue the conversation in hopes of creating what she described as a “productive dialogue. “Of course, I’ve been disappointed seeing some of the rhetoric that you’ve been pushing, promoting, and liking online. Part of my role, ideology and as an individual and also as a representative of Israel and as an Israeli is to have a productive dialogue with people, no matter what side they are on”.

She also clarified that she was not recording the interaction during the conversation.

According to Shiraz, Duwaji politely declined to engage further. “She brushed me off politely and didn’t seem interested in continuing the conversation. She kind of nodded her head and turned away”, she shared.

Shiraz claimed she then asked Duwaji whether she had ever spoken directly with an Israeli before.

“She gave me a dismissive, ‘Yes, yes, I have ‘, while adding she said something about having many Israeli friends.

The interaction quickly sparked debate online, with many arguing that turning the private encounter into a public discussion unfairly violated Duwaji’s privacy and escalated the situation unnecessarily.

One user took to X to say, “Politely, say it all. She doesn’t owe anyone interaction, so what’s the outrage?”

Dujawi, the wife of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has previously faced scrutiny over past anti-Israel remarks on social media. In April 2026, she issued an apology for the rhetoric she acknowledged had been harmful.