Overview
- Miss Israel Melanie Shiraz says Rama Duwaji ended a brief conversation in a New York cafe on Sunday after she introduced herself as Israeli.
- Shiraz posted a short, soundless selfie video of the encounter that news sites shared as her account drew wide attention online.
- Rama Duwaji did not respond to new requests for comment, and City Hall offered no fresh statement as Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said his wife holds no official role.
- Coverage revisited earlier reports tying dormant accounts to inflammatory posts and alleged likes of pro–Oct. 7 content, including a 2017 image of militant Leila Khaled, for which Duwaji apologized last month for causing hurt.
- Tabloids and right-leaning outlets amplified the cafe story, and the renewed focus is testing political and community relations around Mamdani’s administration in New York.