Adidas apologized for featuring model Bella Hadid in campaign ads for its SL72 shoes, which were first released for the 1972 Munich Olympics, an event marred by the Palestinian group Black September breaking into the Olympic Village and killing 11 Israeli athletes.
After the German-based sportswear company posted images of Hadid promoting its SL72 shoe, the state of Israel criticized the move on X. “Guess who the face of their campaign is? Bella Hadid, a model who has a history of spreading antisemitism and calling for violence against Israelis and Jews,” it wrote on Thursday.
Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has been a vocal supporter of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war.
On Friday, Adidas pulled Hadid’s ads and told NBC News it was “revising the remainder of the campaign.”
“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events — though these are completely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” Adidas said.
At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, eight Palestinians affiliated with the militant group Black September took Israeli Olympic athletes hostage and demanded the release of Palestinians held in Israeli and German prisons. In the ensuing gun battle with the German police, the Palestinian militants killed 11 Israeli athletes and one German policeman.
Other social media users defended Hadid and called for a boycott of Adidas in response. Hadid was not immediately available for comment.
When Hadid appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine in 2021, she said on Instagram: “I won’t stop talking about the systematic oppression, pain and humility that Palestinians face on a regular basis.” She has since continued to vocally support Palestinians and criticize the Israeli government.
The Israel-Hamas war continues to spur a divide in Hollywood and among influencers over how to respond to the conflict, with prominent public figures facing backlash over their views.
