Former Miss Israel Titi Aynaw Links Haimanut Kassa's Case to Race

Former Miss Israel Titi Aynaw has spoken out about the ongoing search for Haimanut Kassa, an Ethiopian-Israeli woman who has been missing for over two and a half years. Aynaw, the first Ethiopian-Israeli to win the Miss Israel title, believes the lack of urgency in Kassa's case is due to her dark skin. "If Haimanut had blue eyes, they would have tried harder for her," Aynaw stated in a podcast interview, suggesting that Kassa's ethnicity and background have led to insufficient efforts in finding her.

Aynaw drew parallels to the case of Avraham Mengistu, who was held captive for 11 years, arguing that he would not have been released without the events of October 7th. She criticized the delayed response in Kassa's abduction, noting that a helicopter was not deployed for 24 hours, contrasting it with the swift response to the disappearance of a pilot. Aynaw asserted that this was due to Kassa being a "dark-skinned" individual from a family lacking resources, calling it negligence.

Beyond her advocacy for Kassa, Aynaw discussed her personal journey, including losing both parents by age nine and her dream of establishing family traditions like Kiddush. She also reflected on her modeling career, mentioning being told she was too overweight for Paris runways despite her height. Aynaw recently declared her public support for Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, citing his security insights and emphasis on public diplomacy.

Aynaw also addressed the broader issue of racism in Israel, acknowledging its existence while maintaining a personal approach of explanation rather than anger when encountering prejudice. She emphasized the importance of diverse representation, drawing parallels to the evolving standards in beauty pageants like Miss Universe, and criticized celebrities who remain silent on important issues, stating, "We don't have the privilege not to express an opinion."