Israel’s First Black Beauty Queen Meets President Obama

Tuesday, April 9th, 2013 @ 8:01 pm | Education, Human Rights

“I want to show that my community has many beautiful qualities that aren’t always represented in the media.”
~Yityish Titi Aynaw, Miss Israel 2014

“It’s important that a member of the Ethiopian community win the competition for the first time. There are many different communities of many different colours in Israel, and it’s important to show that to the world.”

So said the first black Israeli beauty queen who after her winning the title met the first black elected President of the United States…This is big news…a showcase of diversity for both nations.

The newly crowned Miss Israel 2013 is Yityish Titi Aynaw, an Ethiopian Immigrant, admits President Barack Obama of the United States has been a “notable influence” in her life, after meeting the American chief executive, said,

“He’s an exciting man, a world-class hunk, charming and an extraordinary gentleman.”

This according to reports in the Israeli publication Yediot Aharonot.

The two celebrities met during President Obama’s visit to Israel last month. The beauty queen, a former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officer, and the American head of state were introduced during a state dinner held in honor of Mr. Obama’s visit, by Israeli President Shimon Peres .

Of the twenty pageant contestants in this year’s competition, seven of them are former or current members of the IDF. They are employed by their government as Air Force operators, squad instructors, paratrooper instructors, and logistic specialists.

Yityish Titi Aynaw, a 21-year-old from Netanya, was chosen Miss Israel 2013. She is the first Ethiopian-born contestant to win the title.

Aynaw came to Israel with her family when she was 12; she was entered into the competition by a friend. She describes herself as having no previous modeling experience.

In addition to having admiration for President Obama Ms Aynaw named assassinated US civil rights leader Martin Luther King as one of her heroes: “He fought for justice and equality, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here: I want to show that my community has many beautiful qualities that aren’t always represented in the media.”

“… my mum believed I had a future…”

As reported by the British online news site the Guardian Ms Aynaw has accepted other aspects of life in Israel, however, she has refused to adopt a Hebrew name as many African immigrants have done.

“I was born sick but my mum believed I had a future,” she told The Tablet, Jewish publication; she further explained her name in Amharic, the second most spoken Semitic language in the world after Arabic, means “looking towards the future”. “I’d never change my name,” she said. “Ever”.

During the competition Ms Aynaw said she hopes to become a fashion model in order to change attitudes toward dark-skinned models. ” I’d love to become the first Israeli (TV) host, the Tyra Banks of Israel.” She will compete in the Miss World pageant to be held later this year in Indonesia.

Our best wishes to Yityish Titi Aynaw during her reign as Miss Israel.