The two beauties hailing from rival countries posed together for a selfie which has now invited trouble. Read on to know the details!

The Miss Universe pageant is just around the corner and is set to be held on January 26. The pageant, however, has become the butt of a major controversy, following a selfie which features contestants from Lebanon and Israel, posing together.Miss Lebanon, Saly Greige has received major flack for posing with Israeli contestant Doron Matalon and posting the selfie on Instagram. The photo also shows contestants from Japan and Slovenia in the frame and a caption reading, “Goodmorning from us!”

We are well aware of the animosity shared between Israel and Lebanon and the fact that contact is banned amongst the two countries. Thus, the selfie posted by Saly has now stirred up a controversy in the political corridors.

The beauty, however, took to social media to defend herself, stating that Miss Israel “photo bombed” the selfie at the end minute. She wrote, “The truth behind the photo, since the first day of my arrival to participate to Miss Universe, I was very cautious to avoid being in any photo or communication with Miss Israel, who tried several times to take a photo of me,” Greige wrote on Instagram. “I was having a photo with Miss Japan, Miss Slovenia, suddenly Miss Israel jumped in and took a selfie, and uploaded it on her social media.”

Talking about the controversy, she further wrote,” It doesn’t surprise me, but it still makes me sad. Too bad you cannot put the hostility out of the game, only for three weeks of an experience of a lifetime that we can meet girls from around the world and also from the neighbouring country.”

Well we think the controversy is sad indeed. On a platform where interaction with people from neighbouring countries is a given, two beauties are receiving flack for it owing to a prolonged animosity.