| Controversy |
Backlash Over an Old Pro-Israel Video: In 2025, Merince Kogoya represented Highland Papua in the Miss Indonesia pageant. She, however, was disqualified after a two-year-old video of her waving an Israeli flag resurfaced online. The video, which was recorded while she was studying abroad, showed her expressing support for Israel, which led to widespread outrage in Indonesia, a country strongly supportive of Palestine and with no diplomatic ties to Israel. Kogoya later explained that the video reflected her Christian beliefs, not a political view. However, the backlash intensified when netizens noticed her Instagram bio that still said “I stand with Israel.” Amid the controversy, organisers quietly replaced her with Karmen Anastasya, the first runner-up from her province, without issuing an official statement. |
