Adidas is under fire after enlisting Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid to promote its vintage SL72 shoe, originally released for the 1972 Munich Olympics. This event is historically marked by the tragic massacre of Israeli athletes by the Palestinian militant group Black September.
The controversy erupted when the campaign, intended to honour the Munich Olympics, inadvertently recalled the 1972 attack, where eleven Israeli athletes and coaches, along with a German police officer, were killed.
An Adidas spokesperson commented, "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." Soon enough, #BoycottAdidas started trending furiously on X as well with several people condemning the company for dropping the supermodel from the campaign.
However, the Israeli government and Jewish organizations quickly condemned the campaign. Israel’s embassy in Germany criticised the choice of Hadid, stating, "Bella Hadid, a model with Palestinian roots who has spread anti-Semitism in the past and incited violence against Israelis and Jews."
Amidst the backlash, the Israeli government took to X, criticising Hadid’s involvement. "She and her father frequently promote blood libels and antisemitic conspiracies against Jews," they stated.
The American Jewish Committee questioned how Adidas could overlook the massacre's association, posting on X, "For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory."
Adidas responded by stating that it would "revise the remainder of the campaign," effectively removing Hadid from any promotional materials.
Bella Hadid, 27, often using social media as a platform to express her views. She has participated in pro-Palestinian marches and actively criticised Israeli policies. In an Instagram post, Hadid lamented the loss of lives in Gaza while calling for pressure on leaders to protect civilians in the Palestinian enclave. She described Israel’s assault on Gaza, which has killed at least 38,848 Palestinians, as a "genocide."
The decision to remove Hadid from the campaign has sparked reactions on social media. Pro-Palestinian supporters accused Adidas of racism and called for a boycott of the brand. One user wrote, "Adidas just canceled Bella Hadid’s modelling contract because she’s Palestinian," garnering significant support online. In addition, a number of people came out in support of the model and accused Adidas of "racism".
Meanwhile, Adidas confirmed it would continue the SL72 campaign with other celebrities, including footballer Jules Kounde and model Sabrina Lan.
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