Miss Iraq, Sarah Idan, and her family had to flee the country after receiving death threats over a selfie she posted with Miss Israel last month.
Idan posted the picture with Adar Gandelsman on Nov. 13 while the two participated in a Miss Universe International Beauty Pageant, the New York Post reports.
She faced criticism and death threats for taking the selfie, which was posted on Instagram with the caption "Peace and Love from Miss Iraq and Miss Israel," and also for modeling in a bikini.
Gandelsman told Israeli TV "The two of those things together caused a mess for her back home where people made threats against her and her family that if she didn’t return home and take down the photos, they would remove her (Miss Iraq) title, that they would kill her."
Iraq does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, and the two countries are considered enemies, the Times of Israel reported.
In another Instagram post, Idan apologized to those who found the photo "harmful to the Palestinian cause."
Nonetheless, the two woman did not regret the decision to post the photo, which Idan has not taken down.
"She did it to so that people can understand that it’s possible to live together," Gandelsman said.