During a free speech event at Stanford University on Wednesday, the 2025 Miss Israel and an accompanying IDF soldier faced an unfriendly reception from students.

As Melanie Shiraz, the beauty queen, engaged in discussions with students at White Plaza, a student riding a bicycle swiped a sign from their setup. The IDF soldier accompanying Shiraz responded by tackling the student, who has been identified as Margil Sanchez Carmona, reported The Stanford Daily.

Sanchez Carmona claimed that the soldier “came at [him] from the side,” causing him to fall off his bike, and briefly put him in a chokehold. 

Campus police arrived on the scene, but it remains uncertain if any arrests occurred. They informed The Daily that they are conducting an investigation, with plans to present their findings to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office for evaluation.

Shiraz shared with The Daily that the soldier, whose identity has not been disclosed, suspected the student might have taken one of their virtual reality headsets. These headsets were being used to show footage of the tragic Nova music festival attack in Israel on October 7.

Shiraz aimed to foster conversation with students, expressing her desire to “engage in meaningful dialogue and… hopefully cultivate some degree of, if not understanding, at least a touch of empathy between us.”

Shiraz is known for her pro-Israel views and is outspoken about the Oct. 7 massacre.

But Sanchez Carmona says the Miss Israel and the IDF soldier used personal insults against the gathered students. He doesn’t regret taking the poster, he said.

“I don’t regret taking the poster. If I were presented with the opportunity to do it again, I still would,” Sanchez Carmona said. “If the precedent that we’re setting for discourse is violent or loud and insulting, and inherently lacking empathy for the other side, then I do not view that as civil discourse.”

He’s a member of the Stanford Democrats, according to The Daily. Sanchez Carmona appears to be politically aware, posting a series of photos two days after the 2025 elections referencing socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani with the caption: “day 0 in zohran’s america.”

Stanford Democrats condemned both Sanchez Carmona’s conduct and the “excessive force” allegedly used by the IDF soldier.

Shiraz’s account of the debate is different from Sanchez Carmona. She said that the students were the ones being “hateful,” and “violent” while “saying nasty things” to them.

“Little by little more of their friends started showing up, to the point where we were encapsulated by this group,” Shiraz said.

Another student, Hana Spahia, accused those tabling as being “propagandists.”

“I think that it is extremely irresponsible for student groups to bring in propagandists for these war crimes and violations of human rights,” Spahia said. “That is made extraordinarily clear by the fact that these former or current IDF soldiers are willing to engage in violence against students for something so silly as a cardboard sign.”

Stanford police said they are committed to ensuring the plaza remains a free speech space.

“White Plaza is a designated free speech zone, and Stanford is committed to ensuring that it is a space where all individuals can safely and openly express their views. We strongly encourage peaceful expression and civil discourse, including on difficult topics,” they said.

The California Post reached out to Shiraz and Stanford for comment.

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