Talleen Abu Hanna

Talleen Abu Hanna is an Israeli-Arab model, actress and activist who in 2016 won the first Miss Trans Israel pageant.

born 1994Winning the first Miss Trans IsraelTransgender rights activismThe Belle from Gaza

Born: 30 July 1994, Nazareth
Occupation: model, actor, beauty pageant contestant, activist

Talleen Abu Hanna was born in 1994 in Nazareth

Talleen Abu Hanna was born in Nazareth on 30 July 1994 to an Arab Christian family, and she has two sisters. She studied dance and theater as a child. She came out as a transgender woman in her teens and moved to Tel Aviv.

In 2016 she won Miss Trans Israel, the first transgender beauty pageant in Israel, held at Habima Theater. She then represented Israel in an international pageant in Barcelona and placed second. That year she took part in Big Brother, and she had gender-affirming surgery in Thailand.

In 2017 she met President Reuven Rivlin and spoke at a Pride event at the Embassy of Israel in Washington. She works with transgender youth and testified in a Knesset subcommittee. In 2018 she competed in Miss Israel.

She has modeled for brands including Desigual and Adidas. She has acted on stage at Habima, in the series Malchut and in films. In 2024 she starred in the documentary The Belle from Gaza and attended the Cannes Film Festival.