LONDON - Adidas was forced to issue an apology to Palestinian-American supermodel Bella Hadid after succumbing to pressure from pro-Israel lobby groups and removing her from its latest Olympic trainer campaign.
In early July, Hadid, 27, appeared in ads for the relaunch of Adidas’ SL72 trainers, originally designed for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. This period was marked by a tragic attack in which 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer were killed by a Palestinian militant group.
Adidas described the removal as “an unintentional mistake” and promised to “revise” the campaign. The decision was influenced by backlash from the Israeli government and pro-Israel groups, who found Hadid’s inclusion “sick” and “offensive,” linking the trainers to the deaths of Israelis during the 1972 Olympics.
The American Jewish Committee criticized the choice of Hadid, labelling it as “either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory.” However, they did not provide evidence to substantiate claims that Hadid was “anti-Israel.” Similarly, the CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement stated: “To have her launch a shoe commemorating an Olympics when so much Jewish blood was shed is just sick.”
On July 19, Adidas confirmed to AFP that Hadid had been removed from the campaign and announced that it would be “revising the remainder of the campaign” immediately.
Adidas removed Hadid’s photos from its social media accounts while keeping those of other campaign stars like football player Jules Kounde, rapper ASAP Nast, musician Melissa Bon, and model Sabrina Lan. This action led to accusations of “blatant racism” against Hadid.
In response to speculation that Hadid, a vocal advocate for Palestinians and a major donor to Gaza relief efforts, might pursue legal action due to the “lack of public accountability,” Adidas issued an apology to her and other celebrities involved in the campaign.
The apology, issued on Instagram, said: “Connections continue to be made to the terrible tragedy that occurred at the Munich Olympics due to our recent SL72 campaign,” referring to the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre when Israeli athletes were taken hostage by the Black September Organization, a Palestinian militant group. Eleven Israelis, a German police officer and five of the attackers died.
The statement continued: “These connections are not meant, and we apologise for any upset or distress caused to communities around the world. We made an unintentional mistake. We also apologise to our partners, Bella Hadid, ASAP Nast, Jules Koundé, and others, for any negative impact on them and we are revising the campaign.”
Hadid’s removal sparked calls for a boycott of the brand, particularly in light of the harrowing number of Palestinians killed. On July 29, Hadid addressed the issue publicly, stating that she “would never knowingly engage with any art or work that is linked to a horrific tragedy of any kind.” In an Instagram story, she explained: “In advance of the campaign release, I had no knowledge of the historical connection to the atrocious events in 1972.” She continued, “I am shocked, I am upset, and I am disappointed in the lack of sensitivity that went into this campaign. Had I been made aware, from the bottom of my heart, I would never have participated.” Hadid also admitted, “My team should have known, Adidas should have known, and I should have done more research so that I too would have known and understood and spoken up.”
Before Hadid released her statement, her older sister, Alana, a prominent advocate for Palestinian rights, chose not to comment during a WNK podcast with Mehdi Hassan on July 24. Hassan, however, was vocal in his criticism of Adidas, questioning their decision: “My view is, what the F is Adidas doing?”
Hassan elaborated, “I got into it with Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL on social media. The idea that a Palestinian model, who wasn’t born in 1972, should be barred from promoting a sneaker linked to the 1972 Olympics because Palestinians were involved in acts of violence during those Olympics—suggesting the only link is their Palestinian identity—is pure bigotry. It’s racism, plain and simple. If you’re saying that being Palestinian means you’re associated with those acts, it’s collective punishment and collective blame. Adidas, or whatever term we use for this anti-Palestinian shoe company, has essentially capitulated not just to Zionism or Israel, but to a group of racists. Let’s be clear about that.”
