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Miss Israel (also referred to asHebrew:מיס ישראל,Malkat HaYōfî,lit. 'The Beauty Queen') was a national beauty pageant inIsrael. The pageant was founded in 1950, where the winners were sent toMiss Universe.

In the late 1920s, a "Queen Esther Beauty Pageant" was held inTel Aviv, centred on the holiday ofPurim. The first Miss Israel took place in 1950, two years after Israel's independence.^[1]

From then onwards, Miss Israel was the national franchise holder forMiss Universe,Miss World, andMiss International. The pageant's official winner represented Israel at Miss Universe and the runners-up at Miss World, Miss International, andMiss Europe. The winner also occasionally competed at other international pageants, such as Miss World in 1953, 1968, 1992, 1996–1998; Miss International in 1963;Miss Asia Pacific International; andMiss Earth.

In 2022, the original organizers (LaIsha) cancelled the pageant amid controversies over its relevance to modern social standards.^[2]

In 2024, Armenian-American entrepreneur and organizer ofMiss Armenia, Edgar Saakyan, acquired the franchise license for Israel at Miss Universe organizing Miss Universe Israel for 2024 and 2025 under his company Edgar Entertainment. In July 2025, Saakyan acquired the franchise license for Israel atMiss Cosmo selecting a Miss Cosmo Israel as well. In September 2025, the already crowned titleholder for Miss Universe Israel 2025 was re-sashed as Miss Israel 2025, implying that Miss Israel pageant is now owned by Edgar Entertainment, in addition to the Miss Universe Israel and Miss Cosmo Israel franchises.

All contestants were required to be female, 170 centimetres or taller, between 18 and 24 years old, never married, and with no children.^[1] Having a criminal record or possessing erotic photos or videos rendered contestant ineligible.^[3]

• One –Rina Mor (winner,Miss Universe 1976)
• One –Linor Abargil (winner,Miss World 1998)
• One – Lilach Ben-Simon (winner,Miss Europe 1994)
• Two –Miss Asia Pacific International:
  • Nurit Mizrachi (winner, 1985)
  • Tali Ben-Harush (winner, 1992)

• Miss Universe (1952–2022; 2024—present) — Edgar Saakyan (2024—present)
• Miss World (1952–2017)
• Miss International (1960–2005)
• Miss Earth (2003–2009)

On 20 July 2021, Miss Universe confirmed that the competition would be held in the Israeli city ofEilat in December 2021.^[4]

• 1951 –Michal Harʾel, former honorary president of theWomen's International Zionist Organization and member of theWorld Jewish Congress
• 1958 –Miriam Hadar, finalist at Miss Universe
• 1999 –Rana Raslan, firstArab andMuslim to win the title^[5]
• 2004 –Gal Gadot, actress
• 2005 –Elena Ralph, first winner to be placed atMiss Universe since 2001
• 2013 –Yityish Titi Aynaw, firstEthiopian Jew to win the title

In some years, spectators at home were able to choose their favorite contestant by SMS:

• 2000 – Nirit Bakshi
• 2003 – Shahar Nehorai
• 2004 – Keren Friedman
• 2005 – Jennifer Bop
• 2008 – Shunit Faragi
• 2018 – Emma Eytan
• 2019 – Maya Barsheshet
• 2020 – Tali Krasnopolski
• 2021 – Alin Gurevich

• Shaike Ophir (1954)
• Alexander Yahalomi (1957)
• Uri Zohar (1960)
• Rivka Michaeli (1963, 1965, 1989)
• Meni Peer (1972, 1973)
• Dudu Topaz (1991)
• Hanny Nahmias (1992, 1993)
• Mike Burstyn (1992)
• Sapir Koffman (1993)
• Miki Kam (1994)
• Gilat Ankori (1996)
• Noa Tishby (1997, 1998)
• Alon Reinhorn (1998)
• Lion Rosenberg (1999)
• Yael Abecassis (2000)
• Aki Avni (2001, 2002)
• Yael Bar Zohar (2004)
• Orna Datz (2005)
• Raz Meirman (2005)
• Orna Datz (2006)
• Galit Gutmann (2007, 2008, 2009)
• Guy Zu-Aretz (2009
• Hilla Nachshon (2010, 2011)
• Ilanit Levi (2014)
• Titi Aynaw (2016)
• Shani Hazan (2017)
• Reef Neeman (2021)

• Binyamin Gibli (1973)
• Lea Gottlieb (1973)
• Ora Namir (1989)
• Rina Mor (1989, 2004))
• Dorit Jellinek (1997)
• Galit Gutmann (2001)
• Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes (2003)
• Ronit Yudkevitz (2005)
• Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes (2005)
• Michal Yannai (2007)
• Yael Goldman (2008)
• Sivan Klein (2008)
• Yael Bar Zohar (2011)
• Michaela Bercu (2012)
• Sivan Klein (2012)

• International Convention Center
• Menora Mivtachim Arena
• Cinerama theater
• Haifa International Convention Center

Year	Malkat Hayofi	Birth	Date	Residence / Country	Image
1950	Miriam Yaron	1929	September 30, 1950	Tel Aviv,Israel –Brazil/Germany
1951	Michal Har'el	1931	September 23, 1951	Herzliya,Israel
1952	Ora Vered	1934	May 25, 1952	Tel Aviv,Israel –Fort Lauderdale,United States
1953	Chavatzelet Dror	1934	July 22, 1953	Tel Aviv,Israel –Austria
1954	Aviva Pe'er	1935	June 25, 1954	Tel Aviv,Israel –Brazil/Romania
1955	Ilana Carmel	1935	June 25, 1955	Tel Aviv,Israel –China
1956	Sara Tal	1936	June 14, 1956	Tel Aviv,Israel –New York City,United States
1957	Atara Barzely[6]	1939	June 6, 1957	Tel Aviv,Israel
1958	Miriam Hadar	1937	May 22, 1958	Tel Aviv,Israel –New York City,United States
1959	Rina Yitzchakov	1940	June 16, 1959	Tel Aviv,Israel –New York City,United States
1960	Aliza Gur	1940	May 29, 1960	Haifa,Israel –Los Angeles,United States
1961	Dalia Lion	1943	May 30, 1961	Haifa,Israel –Luxembourg
1962	Yehudit Mazor	1943	June 9, 1962	Haifa,Israel –New York City,United States
1963	Ester Kfir	1944	May 30, 1963	Tel Aviv,Israel –China
1964	Ronit Rinat	1946	N/A	Haifa,Israel –Los Angeles,United States
1965	Aliza Sadeh	1946	June 9, 165	Tel Aviv,Israel –New York City,United States
1966	Aviva Israeli	1947	May 18, 1966	Tel Aviv,Israel –Italy/Los Angeles,United States
1967	Batia Kabiri	1948	June 29, 1967	Tel Aviv,Israel
1968	Miri Zamir	1950	May 28, 1968	Haifa,Israel
1969	Chava Levy	1951	May 13, 1969	Haifa,Israel
1970	Moshit Tsiporin	1949	April 9, 1970	Netanya,Israel
1971	Ester Orgad	1953	May 4, 1971	Eilat,Israel –South Africa
1972	Ilana Goren	1953	June 6, 1972	Kiryat Motzkin,Israel –New York City,United States
1973	Limor Schreibman-Sharir	1954	May 22, 1973	Tel Aviv,Israel
1974	Edna Levy	1955	June 5, 1974	Ashkelon/Rishon Lezion,Israel
1975	Orit Cooper	1956	May 20, 1975	Tel Aviv,Israel
1976	Rina Mor [Messinger] Miss Universe 1976[7]	1956	May 25, 1976	Kiryat Tivon,Israel
1977	Zehava Vardi	1956	May 3, 1977	Kiryat Bialik,Israel
1978	Dorit Jellinek [fr]	1958	May 30, 1978	Haifa,Israel
1979	Vered Polgar	1962	May 22, 1979	Mitzpa,Israel
1980	Illana Shoshan	1961	April 14, 1980	Kfar Saba,Israel –Los Angeles,United States
1981	Dana Wexler	1964	April 7, 1981	Giv'atayim,Israel
1982	Deborah Hess	1963	May 5, 1982	Tel Aviv,Israel –United States
1983	Shim'ona Hollander	1965	April 26, 1983	Tel Aviv,Israel
1984	Sapir Koffmann	1965	May 22, 1984	Petah Tikva,Israel
1985	Hilla Kelmann	1966	May 14, 1985	Holon,Israel
1986	Nilly Drucker	1968	May 20, 1986	Beersheba/Tel Aviv,Israel
1987	Yamit Noy	1969	March 3, 1987	Rishon Lezion/Moshav inSharon plain,Israel
1988	Shirley Ben-Mordechai	1971	March 15, 1988	Tel Aviv,Israel
1989	Nicole Halperin	1970	February 21, 1989	Tel Aviv,Israel –United States
1990	Yvonna Krugliak	1971	February 27, 1990	Tel Aviv,Israel –Latvia
1991	Miri Goldfarb	1970	April 23, 1991	Hod Hasharon,Israel
1992	Ravit Asaf	1974	April 5, 1992	Beer Sheva,Israel
1993	Jana Khodirker	1973	March 2, 1993	Rehovot,Israel –Ukraine
1994	Ravit Yarkoni	1973	March 2, 1994	Giv'atayim,Israel
1995	Jana Kalmann	1975	March 29, 1995	Tel Aviv,Israel –Siberia,Russia
1996	Taly [Talia] Lewenthal	1978	March 18, 1996	Haifa,Israel
1997	Mirit Greenberg	1979	March 10, 1997	Beersheba,Israel
1998	Linor Abargil Miss World 1998[5]	1980	March 24, 1998	Netanya/Tel Aviv,Israel
1999	Rana Raslan	1977	March 9, 1999	Haifa,Israel
2000	Nirit Bakshi	1982	March 30, 2000	Beer Sheva,Israel
2001	Ilanit Levi[8][9]	1982	March 21, 2001	Haifa,Israel
2002	Yamit Har-Noy	1982	March 13, 2002	Oranit,Israel
2003	Sivan Klein	1984	April 1, 2003	Tel Aviv,Israel
2004	Gal Gadot	1985	March 22, 2004	Petah Tikva/Tel Aviv,Israel
2005	Elena Ralph	1983	April 6, 2005	Ramat Gan,Israel –Ukraine
2006	Yael Nizri	1988	March 21, 2006	Kiryat Shmona,Israel
2007	Liran Kohener	1988	March 13, 2007	Rishon Lezion,Israel
2008	Tamar Ziskind	1985	March 27, 2008	Haifa,Israel
2009	Adi Rodnitzky	1989	March 18, 2009	Tel Aviv,Israel
2010	Shavit Wiesel	1990	March 8, 2010	KibbutzBe'eri,Israel
2011	Ella Ran	1989	March 30, 2011	Herzliya,Israel
2012	Shani Hazan	1992	March 7, 2012	Kiryat Ata,Israel
2013	Yityish Titi Aynaw	1991	February, 2013	Netanya,Israel –Ethiopia
2014	Mor Maman	1995	March 4, 2014	Beersheba,Israel
2015	Maayan Keren	1997	June 3, 2015	Ashdod,Israel
2016	Karin Alia	1998	June 6, 2016	Kiryat Gat,Israel
2017	Rotem Rabi	1995	May 10, 2017	Tel Aviv,Israel
2018	Nikol Reznikov	1999	May 1, 2018	Afula,Israel
2019	Sella Sharlin	1996	March 26, 2019	Herzliya,Israel –Boston,United States
2020	Tehila Levi	2001	July 13, 2020	Yavne,Israel
2021	Noa Cochva	1999	October 24, 2021	Yehud,Israel
Edgar Saakyan directorship — a franchise holder to Miss Universe from 2024:originally as Miss Universe Israel, but later changed back to Miss Israel.
2024	Ofir Korsia	2000	September 29, 2024	Rishon LeZion,Israel
2025	Melanie Shiraz	1998	July 17, 2025	Caesarea,Israel

   Winner International Title

   Miss Universe Israel

   Miss World Israel

   Miss International Israel

   Miss Europe Israel

   Miss Earth Israel

   Miss Asia Pacific Israel

   Miss Young Israel

The Miss Israel divided into five categories; "Malkat Hayofi" - Israel's Beauty Queen (IBQ) is usually for the main winner, "Na’arat Israel" – Israel's Maiden of Beauty (IMB) is for a second place, "Malkat Hachen" - Israel's Queen of Grace (IQG) is for a third place, "Malkat Hayofi-Esreh" - Israel's Teen Queen (ITQ) is for fourth place and "Nesichat Hayofi" - Israel's Princess of Beauty (IPB) is for the last of Top 5 Miss Israel which means a fifth place. These titles represent Israel at International competitions such as Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, Miss Europe, Miss Earth and other minor pageants.

The winner of Miss Universe Israel represents her country at Miss Universe. On occasion, when the winner does not qualify (due to age) a runner-up is sent.

Since 1952, Israel competes at major international pageants. Israel has three international winners namely;Miss Universe 1976,Miss World 1998 andMiss Europe 1994 According to the Miss Israel Organization, traditionally Miss Israel represents the country atMiss Universe. In 2006 Miss Israel changed format with the grand winner competing in theMiss World competition and second place automatically declared "Miss Universe Israel." In 2013, the winner competed in Miss Universe 2013 inRussia. Began in 2018 the format was back to past era; the main winner goes to Miss Universe.

• LaIsha
• Israeli fashion
• Culture of Israel

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMiss Israel.

• missisrael.ynet.co.il

• Miss Israel
• 1950 establishments in Israel
• Annual events in Israel
• Beauty pageants in Israel
• Israeli awards
• Israeli television shows
• Miss Universe by country
• Recurring events established in 1950

• CS1 Hebrew-language sources (he)
• Articles with short description
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