Palestinian Model Featured in Munich Olympics Shoe Ad
Previously Involved in Multiple Anti-Semitism Controversies
German sports brand Adidas decided to replace an advertisement after facing strong criticism from Israel for featuring a Palestinian-American model in a shoe commercial. The controversial ad was for the retro model ’SL72,’ which was re-released from the 1972 Munich Olympics. The Munich Olympics was the event where 11 Israeli athletes were killed in a terrorist attack by the Palestinian group ‘Black September.’
The advertisement, released on the 15th (local time), showed model Bella Hadid wearing a uniform in the colors of the Israeli flag while standing on the podium. Hadid was born to a Palestinian father and a Dutch mother. The Israeli Embassy in Germany sharply criticized the ad on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Hadid and her father have frequently spread anti-Semitic slanders and conspiracies. Does Adidas have any excuse?”
Hadid has participated in pro-Palestinian protests and recently donated to relief funds for the Gaza Strip. In 2020, she posted a photo of her father’s passport on Instagram, writing “born in Palestine,” and protested when it was deleted. Online, there was a flood of criticism such as “disgusting advertisement” and “Adidas is still a Nazi company.” Adidas founder Adolf Dassler had a history of involvement with the Nazis, having produced anti-tank weapons in his shoe factory during World War II.
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported on the 19th that Adidas decided to change the problematic advertisement. Adidas stated, “Although it was not intentional, we recognize that it is connected to a tragic historical event.” However, they did not explain how the ad would be specifically modified or whether Hadid would be completely excluded.
Adidas has previously been embroiled in several anti-Semitism controversies. In March, the design of the number ’44’ on the newly made German national soccer team uniform was revised after concerns that it resembled the symbol of the Nazi military organization SS (Schutzstaffel). Additionally, in 2022, Adidas faced difficulties due to anti-Semitic remarks made by the global hip-hop star Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), with whom they were collaborating. Ye wrote on his Twitter, “We will impose ‘death con 3’ on the Jews,” a phrase interpreted as hateful because it combined ‘death’ with ‘DEFCON,’ the U.S. military defense readiness condition.
Ultimately, Adidas declared, “We do not tolerate anti-Semitism or any other form of hateful speech,” and ended their collaboration with Ye. It is reported that Adidas suffered losses amounting to 250 million euros (approximately 356 billion KRW) as a result.
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