PRIORITIES: Israel Bans All Foreigners Except Beautiful Women Due to Omicron Variant.

Despite Israel being one of the first countries to close its borders due to concerns around the new Omicron COVID variant, it is still planning to host a cavalcade of beautiful women at the Miss Universe pageant at the Red Sea resort city of Eilat in December.

Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov made the announcement on Sunday, a day after Israel said it was banning all foreigners from entering the country.

The minister told reporters that participants at the Miss Universe beauty pageant would be given waivers while possibly undergoing PCR testing every two days, as well as other precautionary measures.

“This is an event that will be broadcast in 174 countries, a very important event, an event that Eilat, too, is very much in need of,” Razvozov said before Sunday’s weekly cabinet meeting. “We will know how to manage this event. So, by using the waivers committee, we will have events like this, to which the country already committed itself and cannot cancel.”

Newsweek has contacted the ministry for comment.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett gave a televised address during the cabinet meeting, in which he said Israel needs “to clamp down” on its borders to keep the country “open internally.”

Israel plans to host the competition for the first time on December 12.

It’s crucial to keep calm and stay focused during trying times.