Make California Post a Preferred Source A former Miss Israel dared city first lady Rama Duwaji to meet her for coffee again after their awkward run-in back in May went viral — and she’s even offering to pay for the java.
Melanie Shiraz challenged Duwaji, the wife of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, to meet again after the unlikely pair bumped into each other at a Brooklyn cafe.
This time, the ex-beauty queen is willing to dive right into contentious issues, including the pro-Palestinian Duwaji’s fierce criticisms of Israel.
“Last time I was here you guys might remember so-called Mayor Mamdani’s wife wasn’t particularly interested in having a conversation with me. So since I’m all about building bridges, I thought I’d extend a personal invitation — Rama, coffee is on me,” she said in an Instagram video posted Tuesday.
“We can talk about Israel, the Middle East, whatever you’d like,” she added while strolling through the Big Apple. “Actually that invitation goes out to anyone who has a problem with me or what I stand for. I promise I don’t bite, but I may just ask questions that you might not like answering.”
Shiraz told The Post she wanted to give Duwaji “another chance to do the right thing.”
“Apparently, talking about Israelis is much easier than listening to one,” she added.
The beauty queen said she would demand Duwaji “explain, face-to-face, how she reconciles her public positions and associations with the testimony of people who survived Hamas’ atrocities.”
Duwaji has a history of anti-Israel sentiment and endured a wave of controversy after a flurry of her past inflammatory social media posts came to light, including one that said Tel Aviv “shouldn’t exist in the first place.”
Shiraz believes Duwaji and her husband, “have made the city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel feel more antisemitic and dangerous for Jews.
“So congratulations,” she sarcastically added, “quite an achievement.”
Mamdani has said his wife is a “private person who has held no formal position on my campaign or in my City Hall.”
The Miss Israel organization severed ties with Shiraz, the 2025-2026 Miss Israel, this summer after she claimed the pageant was rigged. Shiraz studied at UC Berkeley and worked in Silicon Valley’s tech industry before returning to Tel Aviv.
The 27-year-old previously claimed to The Post in May that Duwaji “brushed me off’’ when she learned she was Israeli. Shiraz said the pair’s brief encounter started off warmly, with her starting to take a selfie video with Duwaji.
The first lady — who has also taken heat for reportedly once liking posts celebrating the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist massacre in Israel — smiles into the camera, then quickly appears to try to get out of the frame as she says something to Shiraz.
Shiraz said that as soon as she revealed who she was, Duwaji’s “tone changed” and she “couldn’t allow herself to engage with me.”
The former Miss Israel drew headlines earlier this year when she tussled with “hateful” agitators at Stanford University and a protester snagged one of her signs.
She has continued to tour the US since, Shiraz said.
A spokesperson for the mayor didn’t respond to a request for comment.
