Miss Palestine, Nadeen Ayoub, who made history as her country's first Miss Universe contestant, was previously married to Sharaf Barghouti, son of Marwan Barghouti, a prominent Palestinian prisoner serving a life sentence in Israel. Ayoub, now living in Dubai, has been seen in social media posts with the Barghouti family and reportedly named her son after Marwan Barghouti, a figure viewed by many as a potential unifier for Palestinians. Her participation in international beauty pageants has drawn attention to her advocacy for Palestinian resilience and hope.

The recent Miss Universe event in Thailand marked the first time a contestant from the Palestinian territories participated, sparking controversy online. Miss Israel, Melanie Shiraz, faced death threats after a viral video appeared to show her scowling at Miss Palestine, though she later shared unedited footage refuting the claim. Shiraz reported receiving antisemitic abuse and increased security measures following the incident, highlighting the tensions surrounding the competition.