Adidas issued an apology for using model Bella Hadid in advertisements for their SL72 sneakers, which were first made available for the 1972 Munich Olympics. Black September, a Palestinian organization, broke into the Olympic Village during the event, killing eleven Israeli competitors.
The state of Israel chastised the German sportswear manufacturer on X after it released pictures of Hadid endorsing its SL72 shoe. “Can you guess who the campaign’s spokesperson is? Bella Hadid, a model with a track record of inciting violence against Jews and Israelis and disseminating racism,” it posted on Thursday.
Hadid has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas conflict, and her father is Palestinian.
Adidas withdrew Hadid’s advertisements on Friday and informed NBC News that it was “revising the remainder of the campaign.”
“Although these are entirely accidental, we are aware that links to sad historical events have been made, and we sincerely regret any inconvenience or discomfort this has caused,” Adidas stated.
Eight Palestinians connected to the extremist organization Black September kidnapped Israeli Olympic athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich and demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners detained in German and Israeli jails. The Palestinian militants shot and killed one German policeman and eleven Israeli athletes in the ensuing gunfight with the German police.
In response, other social media users rallied around Hadid and demanded an Adidas boycott. Hadid did not respond to requests for comment right away.
Hadid posted the following on Instagram after being featured on the cover of Vogue magazine in 2021: “I refuse to stop discussing the ongoing suffering, systemic oppression, and humiliation that Palestinians experience.” Since then, she has persisted in openly endorsing Palestinians and denouncing the Israeli government.
Influencers and Hollywood are still divided on how to react to the Israel-Hamas war, and well-known public figures are receiving criticism for their opinions.