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Although Indonesia maintains no diplomatic relations with Israel, Kogoya attempted to defend herself through an Instagram Story posted Monday, explaining that her actions were rooted in Christian faith, not politics.
Merince Kogoya spent four months preparing to represent Highland Papua in Miss Indonesia 2025, only to watch her dreams crumble when an old social media video surfaced showing her dancing with an Israeli flag.
At 20, Kogoya had already distinguished herself academically and athletically before pursuing the beauty crown.
Born in Wamena, Papua, she graduated from SMA 3 Jayapura, participated in provincial science competitions, and played basketball while studying at Universitas Cendrawasih.
But mercilessly, social media users dug up two-year-old footage showing Kogoya holding and waving an Israeli flag while dancing with a group.
The video carried a caption reading: “Diligent for Sion, loyal to Jerusalem, standing for Israel.”
Immediately the haters pounced on the clips that went viral over the weekend, with demands for her immediate removal from the competition.
Although Indonesia maintains no diplomatic relations with Israel, Kogoya attempted to defend herself through an Instagram Story posted Monday, explaining that her actions were rooted in Christian faith, not politics.
“I was simply practicing my faith as a follower of Christ by praying and offering blessings, but an old video from my reels went viral with many false interpretations about my beliefs,” she wrote.
But her explanation fell on deaf ears. Miss Indonesia organizers buckled to the mob pressure within days, quietly removing Kogoya during the quarantine phase and replacing her with runner-up Karmen Anastasya
Notably. Kogoya’s Instagram bio still bravely displays “I stand with Israel.”
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