“Miss Israel” receives cold shoulder from NYC Mayor’s wife in Brooklyn cafe
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Melanie Shiraz, the reigning “Miss Israel 2025”, has publicly described a chance meeting with Rama Duwaji, wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, at a Williamsburg coffee shop in Brooklyn.
The encounter, which occurred on a recent Sunday, began cordially but reportedly soured once Shiraz identified herself as ‘Israeli’.
According to Shiraz's account shared on Instagram, she sat next to Duwaji and initiated conversation.
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Duwaji initially appeared receptive and even agreed to pose for a selfie video. However, the interaction shifted after Shiraz introduced herself as “Miss Israel” and expressed disappointment over Duwaji's past social media posts.
Shiraz, 27, stated that Duwaji's tone and demeanor changed noticeably.
The first lady of New York City reportedly ended the exchange, declining further dialogue.
Duwaji, 28, a Houston native with Syrian-born parents, has faced scrutiny for social media content for being sympathetic to Palestinian causes and critical of ‘Israel’ amid the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip.
