Adidas pulls ‘unacceptable’ Bella Hadid advert
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Adidas has pulled a shoe campaign featuring the Palestinian model and Israel critic Bella Hadid after it caused anger among Jewish communities.
Hadid was pictured modelling a remake of trainers first released in 1972 to mark the Munich Olympics, an event marred by tragedy when Palestinian terrorists killed 11 members of Israel’s Olympic team and a West German policeman.
Ms Hadid has been a vocal critic of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and has sparred with members of Israel’s government over the treatment of Palestinians.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-Right national security minister, has previously described Ms Hadid as an “Israel-hater”.
In the advertisement, Ms Hadid is pictured wearing the retro red trainers and holding a bouquet of flowers.
The American Jewish Committee said Adidas was wrong to pick an allegedly “anti-Israel model” for its campaign.
A spokesman said: “At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, 12 [sic] Israelis were murdered and taken hostage by Palestinian terrorist group Black September.
“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory. Neither is acceptable.”
Adidas later told Jewish News it had “revised” the campaign and issued an apology for “any upset or distress caused.”
‘Completely unintentional’
The shoemaker said: “The Adidas Originals SL72 campaign unites a broad range of partners to celebrate our lightweight running shoe, designed more than 50 years ago and worn in sport and culture around the world.
“We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events – though these are completely unintentional – and apologise for any upset or distress caused. As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign.
“We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do.”
Jonathan Greenblatt, the director of the Anti-Defamation League, welcomed the decision to pull the campaign, calling it a “serious” misjudgment from Adidas.
“We welcome their decision to correct this campaign and its recognition of the pain it has caused,” Mr Greenblatt said.
Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, has repeatedly made public comments in support of Palestine on her Instagram account.
In May she was photographed in Cannes in a red and white dress made of keffiyehs, a scarf which has become an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
In a related post she said: “Palestine on my mind, in my blood and on my heart. Always… While I still have to go to work , even through this horror, to wear our culture makes me a proud Palestinian & I want the world to continue to see Palestine, wherever we go.”
She has also shared the controversial and unfounded claims on her social media that Israel “beheaded children” in an attack on a tent camp in Gaza, and that Israel is “holding more hostages than Hamas” in reference to the many Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Kanye West partnership
In 2022 Adidas terminated its partnership with rapper and fashion designer Kanye West after he made a series of anti-Semitic remarks, a move that knocked the musician off the Forbes list of the world’s billionaires.
In one tweet, the musician called for “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE”.
Adidas said in response that it “does not tolerate anti-Semitism and any other sort of hate speech”.
Ms Hadid said in apparent response to West’s remarks: “To my Jewish loved ones, the Jewish communities worldwide, I am here to say that you belong, you are worthy and your right as a human being is to be ALIVE. Just the same as any other race, religion, shape or size.”
Ms Hadid has been contacted for comment.
