EconomyLens.com
No Result
View All Result
Monday, September 1, 2025
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Business
  • Markets
  • Tech
  • Editorials
EconomyLens.com
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Business
  • Markets
  • Tech
  • Editorials
No Result
View All Result
EconomyLens.com
No Result
View All Result
Home Business

Adidas drops Bella Hadid from campaign over Gaza controversy

Natalie Fisher by Natalie Fisher
July 19, 2024
in Business
Reading Time: 7 mins read
A A
2
69
SHARES
867
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Hadid was born in the US but has Palestinian roots through her father. ©AFP

Berlin (AFP) – Adidas said Friday it had dropped vocal pro-Palestinian model Bella Hadid from an advertising campaign for retro sneakers referencing the 1972 Munich Olympics, which were overshadowed by a massacre of Israeli athletes.

Related

UK fintech Revolut valued at $75 bn: source to AFP

Bosnian truckers block deliveries in protest over EU rules

US Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy again

Lay off our eggs market, French producers tell Ukraine

Qantas says profits up, strong travel demand ahead

The German sportswear giant recently relaunched the SL72, a shoe first showcased by athletes at the 1972 Olympics, as part of a series reviving old classic sneakers.

Eleven Israeli athletes and a German police officer were killed at the 1972 Munich Games after gunmen from the Palestinian Black September group broke into the Olympic village and took them hostage. 

Hadid, who was born in the US but has Palestinian roots through her father, has been vocal about her support for Palestinian rights since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 triggered the war in Gaza.

Adidas said it would be “revising the remainder of the campaign” with immediate effect.

“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,” the company said in a statement sent to AFP on Friday.

– ‘Collective memory’ –

A spokeswoman confirmed that Hadid had been removed from the campaign, which notes that the shoes were first introduced in 1972 but never mentions the terror attack on the Israeli athletes.

Pictures of the American model wearing the retro Adidas shoes had caused an outcry among pro-Israeli groups.

“Guess who the face of the campaign is?Bella Hadid, a model with Palestinian roots who has spread anti-Semitism in the past and incited violence against Israelis and Jews,” the Israeli embassy in Germany wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.

“How can Adidas now claim that the reference (to the events in Munich) was ‘completely unintentional’?” Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany, said in response to the company’s climbdown.

“The terror of 1972 is etched into the collective memory of Germans and Israelis,” he told Die Welt TV on Friday.

A flood of social media posts meanwhile expressed support for Hadid, criticised Adidas for axing the model, and called for a boycott of the company.

– Pro-Palestinian demonstrations –

The Gaza war was triggered by the October 7 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants on southern Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

Israel’s military retaliation to wipe out Hamas has killed at least 38,848 people, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

Hadid has taken part in several pro-Palestinian demonstrations during the conflict and has described Israel’s offensive as a “genocide”.

In 2021, Hadid, her sister Gigi Hadid and singer Dua Lipa were described as anti-Semitic in an advertisement published in The New York Times by a Jewish group called the World Values Network.

Adidas said it would be continuing the SL72 campaign with other famous faces including footballer Jules Kounde, singer Melissa Bon and model Sabrina Lan.

In late 2022, Adidas ended its contract with the US rapper now known formally as Ye after he triggered an outcry with a series of anti-Semitic social media posts.

Germany’s response to the Hamas attack and ensuing war has been driven by guilt over its own dark past, and the slaughter of six million Jews by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

The country has steadfastly backed Israel in the conflict, but its unwavering stance has led to claims that Palestinian voices are being marginalised.

© 2024 AFP

Tags: advertisingOlympicsretro sneakers
Share28Tweet17Share5Pin6Send
Previous Post

EU, Serbia sign deal to kickstart lithium battery development

Next Post

US to phase out federal purchase of single-use plastics

Natalie Fisher

Natalie Fisher

Related Posts

Business

Defence giant Rheinmetall opens mega-plant as Europe rearms

August 28, 2025
Business

Qantas says profits up, strong travel demand ahead

August 27, 2025
Business

AI giant Nvidia shares slip despite record sales

August 27, 2025
Business

Norway wealth fund divests from Caterpillar over Gaza ‘rights violations’

August 27, 2025
Business

US restaurant chain Cracker Barrel cracks, revives old logo

August 26, 2025
Business

Trump joins backlash against US restaurant Cracker Barrel

August 26, 2025
Next Post

US to phase out federal purchase of single-use plastics

CrowdStrike crash raises questions about tech dependency

Bruce Springsteen is officially a billionaire

Conspiracy theories take off after global IT crash

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
guest
2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

New York ruling deals Trump business a major blow

September 30, 2024

Elon Musk’s X fights Australian watchdog over church stabbing posts

April 21, 2024

Women journalists bear the brunt of cyberbullying

April 22, 2024

France probes TotalEnergies over 2021 Mozambique attack

May 6, 2024

New York ruling deals Trump business a major blow

77

Ghanaian finance ministry warns against fallout from anti-LGBTQ law

74

Shady bleaching jabs fuel health fears, scams in W. Africa

71

Stock markets waver, oil prices edge up

65

Mauritania’s Tah takes over as Africa’s ‘super banker’

September 1, 2025

Bosnian truckers block deliveries in protest over EU rules

September 1, 2025

European stocks climb after robust gains for Chinese equities

September 1, 2025

Alibaba soars but Europe, Asia stocks mixed

September 1, 2025
EconomyLens Logo

We bring the world economy to you. Get the latest news and insights on the global economy, from trade and finance to technology and innovation.

Pages

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Categories

  • Business
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Tech
  • Editorials

Network

  • Coolinarco.com
  • CasualSelf.com
  • Fit.CasualSelf.com
  • Sport.CasualSelf.com
  • SportBeep.com
  • MachinaSphere.com
  • MagnifyPost.com
  • TodayAiNews.com
  • VideosArena.com
© 2025 EconomyLens.com - Top economic news from around the world.
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Business
  • Markets
  • Tech
  • Editorials

© 2024 EconomyLens.com - Top economic news from around the world.