Adidas ends Bella Hadid ad campaign following Israeli criticism
Adidas has issued an apology for the distress caused by their advertising campaign that included Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid. For further details, visit the full article on RT.com.
TroibNews 
West Jerusalem has leveled accusations of anti-Semitism at a 27-year-old model due to her support for Palestine.
Adidas, the renowned German sportswear brand, has terminated its collaboration with American model Bella Hadid in a retro sneaker campaign. This decision followed backlash from Israel regarding her views.
Hadid, born to a Palestinian father from Nazareth, is prominently supportive of Palestinian rights and has urged for an end to violence in Gaza.
Critiquing the Israeli government’s actions in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has resulted in over 38,000 Palestinian deaths, Hadid has been persistent. Following a lethal Hamas attack in October 2023 that killed about 1,200 Israelis, the IDF launched a military operation in Gaza.
Bella, alongside her sister Gigi Hadid who is also a highly-followed model, has been active in pro-Palestinian rallies, and both have openly labeled the actions in Gaza as "genocide." They have contributed $1 million towards various Palestinian aid initiatives in Gaza like HEAL Palestine, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, World Central Kitchen, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
In its recent promotion, Adidas described the SL72 sneakers as “retro-inspired classics with effortless appeal.” These shoes were initially introduced during the 1972 Munich Olympics, an event overshadowed by the Palestinian group Black September's terrorist attack, resulting in the deaths of eleven Israeli athletes and a German police officer.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry took to X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Guess who the face of their campaign is? Bella Hadid, a half-Palestinian model who has a history of spreading anti-Semitism and calling for violence against Israelis and Jews.” In response, Adidas stated that they were "revising the remainder of the campaign" immediately, albeit without additional details.
“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 expressed in a statement sent to AFP.
The decision to remove Hadid from their advertising has triggered substantial backlash online. US conservative commentator Candace Owens criticized the move sharply.
“You really have some audacity harassing them after the family survived as refugees and a generation later made something of themselves,” Owens commented on the Israeli X post.
"Opposing genocide does not make you anti-Semitic… It makes you human," another social media user said. Calls for boycotting Adidas have emerged among several comments.
Previously, Adidas also ended their partnership with American rapper Kanye West following his controversial remarks about Jewish people.
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
Adidas, the renowned German sportswear brand, has terminated its collaboration with American model Bella Hadid in a retro sneaker campaign. This decision followed backlash from Israel regarding her views.
Hadid, born to a Palestinian father from Nazareth, is prominently supportive of Palestinian rights and has urged for an end to violence in Gaza.
Critiquing the Israeli government’s actions in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has resulted in over 38,000 Palestinian deaths, Hadid has been persistent. Following a lethal Hamas attack in October 2023 that killed about 1,200 Israelis, the IDF launched a military operation in Gaza.
Bella, alongside her sister Gigi Hadid who is also a highly-followed model, has been active in pro-Palestinian rallies, and both have openly labeled the actions in Gaza as "genocide." They have contributed $1 million towards various Palestinian aid initiatives in Gaza like HEAL Palestine, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, World Central Kitchen, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
In its recent promotion, Adidas described the SL72 sneakers as “retro-inspired classics with effortless appeal.” These shoes were initially introduced during the 1972 Munich Olympics, an event overshadowed by the Palestinian group Black September's terrorist attack, resulting in the deaths of eleven Israeli athletes and a German police officer.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry took to X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Guess who the face of their campaign is? Bella Hadid, a half-Palestinian model who has a history of spreading anti-Semitism and calling for violence against Israelis and Jews.” In response, Adidas stated that they were "revising the remainder of the campaign" immediately, albeit without additional details.
“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 expressed in a statement sent to AFP.
The decision to remove Hadid from their advertising has triggered substantial backlash online. US conservative commentator Candace Owens criticized the move sharply.
“You really have some audacity harassing them after the family survived as refugees and a generation later made something of themselves,” Owens commented on the Israeli X post.
"Opposing genocide does not make you anti-Semitic… It makes you human," another social media user said. Calls for boycotting Adidas have emerged among several comments.
Previously, Adidas also ended their partnership with American rapper Kanye West following his controversial remarks about Jewish people.
Aarav Patel for TROIB News
