Bella Hadid
Adidas has decided to sever its association with supermodel Bella Hadid from an advertising campaign that has sparked controversy due to its reference to the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The campaign, which featured the retro SL72 shoe inspired by the 1972 event, has faced backlash from Israeli officials because of its historical context.
The 1972 Munich Olympics were marred by a tragic incident in which the Palestinian Black September group took Israeli athletes hostage.
The standoff, which occurred at the Olympic village and the Fuerstenfeldbruck airfield, ended with the deaths of eleven Israeli athletes, a German policeman, and five Palestinian attackers.
The rescue attempt, which erupted into a gunfight, remains a painful memory in both Israeli and German histories.
Adidas announced on Friday that it would be “revising the remainder of the campaign” with immediate effect.
The company expressed regret over the situation, stating, “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.”
This statement was issued in response to the criticism directed at the campaign and Hadid’s involvement.
Bella Hadid, whose father is Palestinian, has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause. Over the years, she has made several public remarks criticizing the Israeli government and advocating for Palestinian rights.
On October 23, she posted a statement on Instagram condemning the loss of lives in Gaza and urging her followers to press their leaders to protect civilians in the Palestinian territories.
She has also participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and has described Israel’s actions in Gaza, which have resulted in the deaths of at least 38,848 Palestinians, as a “genocide.”
In 2020, Hadid faced a controversy when Instagram removed a post she shared that showed her father’s passport with his birthplace listed as Palestine.
The platform later issued an apology to Hadid. Additionally, in August, Hadid criticized Israeli far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for prioritizing the rights of settlers in the West Bank over those of Palestinians, stating that no life should be considered more valuable than another based on ethnicity or culture.
The Israeli embassy in Germany expressed outrage over the campaign’s choice of Hadid as its face. The embassy’s criticism highlighted Hadid’s past remarks, accusing her of spreading anti-Semitism and inciting violence against Israelis and Jews.
“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 wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany, questioned Adidas’s claim that the reference to the Munich events was unintentional.
He emphasized that the terror of 1972 remains a significant part of the collective memory of both Germans and Israelis. “The terror of 1972 is etched into the collective memory of Germans and Israelis,” Prosor said in an interview with Die Welt TV.
In response to the controversy, social media has seen a wave of support for Hadid, with many criticizing Adidas for removing her from the campaign and calling for a boycott of the brand.
Adidas has stated that the SL72 campaign will continue with other prominent figures, including footballer Jules Kounde, singer Melissa Bon, and model Sabrina Lan.
