Faced with criticism for the collaboration with Bella Hadid: Adidas reacts

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Adidas has removed the image of model Bella Hadid from an ad promoting sneakers previously launched at the Munich Olympics in 1972. The German brand has said it is "reviewing" the ad after facing criticism from Israel.

The "SL72" sneakers were promoted by Bella Hadid, known as one of the most vocal celebrities against the war in Gaza and the killing of Palestinians. The model has faced some criticism from the Israeli government, due to its support of the Palestinians, and recently, Israel's official X account recalled that at the Munich Olympics, 11 Israelis were killed in a terrorist attack carried out by Palestinians. Other Israelis have also reacted to X.

"Adidas is using Bella Hadid, a Palestinian model known for anti-Semitism and rhetoric against Israel, to promote an athlete, recalling the Munich Olympics (1972), where 11 Israeli athletes were massacred by Palestinian terrorists. This is a decision of disgusting".

"What does Adidas have in mind? A promotional campaign inspired by the 1972 Munich Olympics - where 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian terrorists - in collaboration with Bella Hadid, an anti-Israel fashionista? Send Adidas a message to understand: We will not buy!"

Adidas said in an official statement that the "SL72" sneaker campaign includes several partners, adding: "We are aware that links have been made to a tragic historical event. Although it was totally unintentional, we apologize for the boredom and stress caused. As a result, we will review the campaign."

Other ads feature other Adidas brand ambassadors, including French soccer player Jules Koundé, rapper A$AP Rocky, and Chinese model Sabrina Lan.

We recall that on September 5, 1972, members of the Palestinian group "Black September" participated in the Olympic Games in Munich. 11 members of the Israeli team were taken hostage and killed.

As for Adidas, it is not the first time that it has stopped cooperation because of accusations of anti-Semitism. In October 2022, the sports brand terminated cooperation with Kanye West, because it "does not tolerate anti-Semitism", based on the rapper's comments about the Jewish community.

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