Adidas has issued an apology for collaborating with Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid in a recent campaign, following significant backlash from Israel.
The sportswear giant featured Hadid in the relaunch of the SL72 shoes, originally worn by athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, a year marked by the tragic killing of 11 Israeli athletes by Palestinian gunmen. The attackers aimed to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and two left-wing members held in West Germany.
The Adidas-Hadid partnership faced severe criticism from pro-Zionist groups and Israel’s official social media channels.
In a statement, Adidas acknowledged the controversy, saying, “We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologise for any upset or distress caused.”
The company announced it would revise the remainder of the campaign and subsequently removed images of Hadid from their social media platforms. According to AFP, Hadid was confirmed to be removed from the campaign, though this remains unverified by The New Arab.
Hadid was one of five celebrities and athletes featured in the new campaign. Despite the backlash, many have supported Hadid, arguing the attack at the 1972 Olympics is irrelevant to her involvement, as it occurred before she was born.
On Friday, the hashtag #BoycottAdidas trended on social media, with users urging the company to reinstate Hadid. One user commented, “Shame on Adidas and their cowardice at cancelling Bella Hadid’s contract.”
Bella Hadid, daughter of Palestinian-American real estate mogul and Nakba survivor Mohamed Hadid, has been vocal about her Palestinian heritage and critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza. She has shared content highlighting Israel’s atrocities and, alongside her sister Gigi, recently donated $1 million to various Palestinian aid agencies.
Since Israel’s offensive on Gaza began in October, over 38,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed.
