Stanford authorities are investigating an incident in which an ex-IDF soldier, who was visiting the campus last week with Miss Israel, is accused of tackling and restraining a student who took a paper sign from the booth.

Melanie Shiraz, who was crowned Miss Israel last year, was visiting Stanford University last Wednesday with a group of former Israeli Defense Forces soldiers as part of a promotional tour at high-profile universities, as the Palo Alto Daily Post reports. The tour was reportedly in support of a Google VR project covering the October 7 attacks from the Israeli perspective.

According to KGO, Shiraz and the soldiers were stationed on campus with signs that said, "I'm Miss Israel. I'm an IDF Soldier. Ask us anything."

The Stanford Democrats Club wrote on social media that several of its members began a discussion with Shiraz and one of the former soldiers, who were reportedly "agitating and engaging in genocide denialism,” as one witness told KGO.

A different witness told the outlet that the students were verbally harassing Shiraz and the soldier and calling them terrorists when one of the club’s members reportedly took a paper sign off the table and fled on his bike.

The club says it condemns the member’s action as well as the ex-soldier’s subsequent use of excessive force, which included chasing down the student, tackling him to the ground from a moving bike, and placing him in a chokehold.

“Although we maintain that students, including our members, should uphold campus rules when engaging in discourse,” says the club on social media, “we strongly condemn the violent actions of this soldier and support the Stanford Department of Public Safety's investigation into the matter.”

The Daily Post reports that Stanford’s public safety deputies were on the scene following the incident, which is still under investigation, and the results will be reviewed by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

“We believe that representing and meaningfully engaging diverse perspectives is integral to any college campus,” says the club. “That cannot happen when students are violently attacked.”

Image: BANGKOK, THAILAND - NOVEMBER 19: Miss Universe Israel, Melanie Shiraz,  showcases her evening gown during the 74th Miss Universe Preliminary  competition on November 19, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo by Mohan  Raj/Getty Images)