Muna Ennab, 23, and Samar Quzmar, 24, two of the contestants in the Miss Palestine heat, where only four girls turned up. Jamal Aruri for The National

Just as a fair selection of the world’s media began to assemble at a small hotel in Ramallah on Wednesday for what was billed as the first heat in the first ever Miss Palestine competition, two girls stormed out the front door, followed by one of the members of the press.

“We are not talking, and we are no longer taking part,” one of the girls called out over her shoulder to the pursuing reporter, who gave up the chase. Inside the lobby, a gaggle of photographers stood around looking forlorn.

“There’s no one here,” said one to a colleague. And he was almost right. A little further inside the lobby, on a beige sofa, sat what turned out to be the only contestant present. Next to her, putting a brave face on proceedings was Salwa Yousef, the pageant’s organiser.

Ms Yousef confirmed to The National that the two girls had indeed left the beauty pageant. “Problems with their families,” she said without elaborating.

She was not precise about how many contestants were left. “Between 15 and 20,” Ms Yousef said. Beyond that, she urged the increasingly restless journalists not to worry. A group of contestants were on their way from Jerusalem. The event would proceed as planned, if a little late.

Late again, she might have added. Wednesday’s event, ostensibly to select 10 finalists for the main event on December 26, was supposed to have been held on December 10. It was postponed twice. On December 15, the heat was cancelled for a third time, less than an hour before it was due to start, with many journalists already en route from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. For all that, Trip Fashion, the company behind the competition, nevertheless managed to secure the participation of an impressive number of media outlets from across the world, including Israel.

Here was a story, after all, that appealed to journalists and editors tired of always reporting war and politics. Miss Palestine not only provided a possible new angle on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it featured pretty girls.

But with conservative elements in Palestinian society reportedly angry at the competition, there was already a brewing controversy between traditionalists and liberals, maybe even a reflection of the division between the West Bank and Gaza.

In fact, The Jerusalem Post reports that ‘Hamas has come out strongly against a plan to hold the first Miss Palestine beauty pageant.’

Salwa Yusef said that the event would take place despite the pressure and threats by Hamas.

“We will hold the contest unless the Palestinian Authority decides otherwise,” she said. “We call on all those who are attacking us to give us a chance because we are seeking to send a message of civilization to the world.”

The names of the candidates have not been made public to avoid exposing them to threats.

The International Analyst Network calls the pageant an ‘opportunity’ for the Muslim world:

Miss Palestine should be crowned on 26 December. If for any reason she is not it will be just another one of those opportunities missed by the Palestinian Authority  over the last 16 years to try and bring some semblance of normality into the lives of the West Bank and Gazan Arabs free of governmental controls or religious coercion.

“To cancel the beauty pageant  now,” continues IAN, “would involve grave loss of face by the Palestinian Authority and would be perceived by the West Bank Arab population as a real sign of weakness in the face of strident Hamas opposition.”