The former Miss Iraq — who made international headlines and faced backlash from critics of Israel after she posed for photos with Miss Israel at the 2017 Miss International Beauty Pageant — visited the scene of the October 7 Hamas massacre of Israelis and blasted those who slaughter Jews in the name of Allah.
“I visited Kfar Aza, a place where the heart-wrenching horror of Hamas’s infiltration led to a massacre of innocent Israeli families right in their homes,” Sarah Idan, Miss Iraq 2017 tweeted. “Located just a mile from Gaza, we stood witness as the Iron Dome intercepted rockets launched by Hamas. I brought my old uniform from Iraq to be mentally prepared, but I was still shocked and at a loss for words. Never in my life, not even amidst the terror of ISIS, have I seen such barbarity. What was once a vibrant community now echoes with a haunting silence of tragedy.”
“I don’t care what’s your religion if your God permits you to do this in his name then your God is wrong,” she wrote bluntly. “My mind is still traumatized by the scene, the smell of the dead bodies. Shame on those pretending the massacre didn’t happen.”
I visited Kfar Aza, a place where the heart-wrenching horror of Hamas’s infiltration led to a massacre of innocent Israeli families right in their homes. Located just a mile from Gaza, we stood witness as the Iron Dome intercepted rockets launched by Hamas. I brought my old… pic.twitter.com/3gvZ1LD96x
— Sarai (Sarah Idan) Miss Iraq (@RealSarahIdan) December 28, 2023
I don’t care what’s your religion if your God permits you to do this in his name then your God is wrong. My mind is still traumatized by the scene, the smell of the dead bodies. Shame on those pretending the massacre didn’t happen. pic.twitter.com/4ELXTwgA68
— Sarai (Sarah Idan) Miss Iraq (@RealSarahIdan) December 28, 2023
In November 2017, Idan posed for photos with Miss Israel, Adar Gandelsman, for their respective Instagram accounts. Idan’s caption read: “Peace and Love from Miss Iraq and Miss Israel.” Gandelsman wrote on her Instagram post, “Get to know, this is Miss Iraq and she’s amazing.” She added on Facebook, “Practicing bringing world peace.”
The backlash from parts of the Muslim world targeting Idan, 27 at the time, was so fierce that she posted a defense on Instagram, writing in Arabic, “I want to stress that the purpose of the picture was only to express hope and desire for peace between the two countries,” but adding that the photo did not indicate support for the Israeli government and offering an apology if the photo was harmful to the Palestinian cause.
Despite her attempt to curb the backlash, Idan ended up having to relocate her family due to threats, the Jerusalem Post reported. Gandelsman, who has become good friends with Idan, told Hadashot that Idan’s family had been forced to flee Iraq after receiving death threats for Idan’s photos with Gandelsman as well as Idan posing in a bikini.
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In June 2018, Idan and Gandelsman reunited in Jerusalem, then posted a picture online captioned, “Sister’s reunion.” The two also posted a video in which Idan told her followers “Shalom” while Gandelsman told her followers, “Salaam.”
Idan told Israel’s Channel 2 News, “I don’t think Iraq and Israel are enemies; I think maybe the governments are enemies with each other. There’s a lot of Iraqi people that don’t have a problem with Israelis.”
In October 2019, Idan lauded Israel for its commitment to help the Kurdish people in the face of Turkish dictator Recep Erdogan’s brutal assault on them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted, “Israel strongly condemns the Turkish invasion of the Kurdish areas in Syria and warns against the ethnic cleansing of the Kurds by Turkey and its proxies. Israel is prepared to extend humanitarian assistance to the gallant Kurdish people.”
Idan commented, “And people wonder why I stand with Israel … heard many countries say ‘They condemn’ but not a single one said they will extend assistance to #Kurds.”
Israel strongly condemns the Turkish invasion of the Kurdish areas in Syria and warns against the ethnic cleansing of the Kurds by Turkey and its proxies.
Israel is prepared to extend humanitarian assistance to the gallant Kurdish people.— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 10, 2019
And people wonder why I stand with Israel… heard many countries say “they condemn” but not a single one said they will extend assistance to #Kurds https://t.co/xsPEgpXlRD
— Sarai (Sarah Idan) Miss Iraq (@RealSarahIdan) October 10, 2019