A Miss Indonesia contestant has been disqualified from the national pageant after a video surfaced of her waving the Israeli flag, sparking widespread outrage in a country known for its strong support of Palestine.
Merince Kogoya, who was slated to represent Highland Papua at the Miss Indonesia finals on July 9, was quietly removed from the competition last week after the video, filmed in May 2023, resurfaced and went viral on social media.
The clip shows Kogoya dancing while holding the Israeli flag, an image that ignited backlash across Indonesia. In response, pageant organizers replaced her with Karmen Anastasya, the runner-up from the same province.
On Monday, Kogoya addressed the controversy via Instagram. Her bio reads “I stand with Israel,” and in her post, she attributed her removal to “public comments” in reaction to the video.
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“My two-year-old video reel was widely shared with various misinterpretations about my beliefs,” she wrote. “I also want to apologize to the Highland Papua family. I tried to give my best, but the decision made by @missindonesia was based on opinions that do not align with my personal convictions.”
Kogoya did not respond to requests for comment from Arab News.
Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, has long supported Palestinian statehood, which it views as consistent with its constitutional stance against colonialism. The country maintains no diplomatic ties with Israel and continues to advocate for a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders.
Since Israel’s military campaign in Gaza began in October 2023, hundreds of thousands of Indonesians have rallied in solidarity with Palestinians and joined widespread boycotts of Israel-linked products and companies.
To date, Israeli forces have reportedly killed over 56,000 Palestinians and injured more than 133,000. The actual death toll may be significantly higher. A study published by The Lancet in January estimated a 41% underreporting rate, as many deaths caused by starvation, injury, and lack of healthcare remain uncounted due to the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure and ongoing blockade of aid.
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