Miss Israel Yityish Aynaw Photo: Marc Israel em/The Jerusalem Post
One day after receiving an invitation to dine with American President Barak Obama and Shimon Peres during the former’s upcoming trip, newly crowned Miss Israel Yityish Aynaw told the Jerusalem Post that she is “very excited” for the opportunity to meet a man whose success she cited as a “notable influence on her life.”
Aynaw who is 21-years-old and a former Israeli army officer became the first Ethiopian-born Israeli to win the pageant.
Speaking with the Jerusalem Post on Wednesday afternoon, Aynaw said that she “didn’t believe that this was happening when she received a personal dinner invitation from “President Shimon Peres himself.”
President Obama is “someone who accomplished things by dint of his hard work,” she said.
Asked why she was chosen to attend the dinner, Aynaw replied that she is “the first black Miss Israel to be chosen and [Obama] is the first black American President. These goes together.”
Calling the opportunity to dine with two presidents “wonderful,” Aynaw stated that as a young immigrant, she “didn’t think that such a thing could happen” to her.
During the Miss Israel competition, Aynaw told judges that "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 colors in Israel, and it's important to show that to the world." Aynaw came to Israel when she was 12. Acclimating to Israel was difficult at first, Aynaw said, but she picked up the language quickly with the help of a friend.
She has been working as a saleswoman at a clothing store since her army discharge.
During the competition, Aynaw also cited the slain American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. 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," she said.
Fonte: http://www.jpost.com/
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