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Sports Footwear Company Scraps 'Hateful' Bella Hadid Ad After Munich Massacre Overshadows 1972 Olympics Sneakers Relaunch
Following criticism from Israel, Adidas said that it was ‘revising’ its campaign with Bella Hadid for a shoe honoring the victims of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of massacre and antisemitism
Shoe brand Adidas is facing criticism from the pro-Israel American Jewish Committee for choosing Bella Hadid to promote a retro sneaker from the 1972 Summer Olympic Games.
The campaign's timing aligns with the 52nd anniversary of the Munich Games, where 12 Israeli coaches and athletes were murdered by Palestinian terrorists. Members of the Black September group invaded the Olympic Village, took Israeli hostages, and eventually killed them, making headlines during the Munich Games.
Why is the brand under fire for featuring Bella Hadid in its ad?
Jewish and pro-Israel Twitter users, often referred to as ‘Jwitter,’ expressed outrage on Thursday over Adidas' new campaign. They argue it is, at best, insensitive and, at worst, antisemitic.
Adidas unveiled a campaign on Thursday featuring sneakers originally designed for the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. The campaign stars Bella Hadid, a Palestinian-American model known for her vocal anti-Israel stance and spreading antisemitic content on social media, along with her sister, Gigi, and her father, Mohamed.
During the 1972 Olympics, eight members of the Palestinian militant group Black September entered the Olympic Village, killed two Israeli athletes, and took nine others hostage, who were later killed. This incident, known as the Munich massacre, is closely associated with the 1972 Munich Olympics.
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Israel sharply criticized Bella Hadid's role in the campaign
The State of Israel's official social media account criticized Adidas for choosing Bella Hadid as the face of their campaign.
“Guess who the face of [Adidas’] campaign is? Bella Hadid, a half-Palestinian model who has a history of spreading antisemitism and calling for violence against Israelis and Jews,” read the account, managed by Israel's foreign ministry on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The pro-Israel American Jewish Committee criticized Adidas for the insensitive campaign.
“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory. Neither is acceptable,” said the organization.
It further added, “We call on Adidas to address this egregious error."
According to the Washington Times, Adidas has since apologized, saying, “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.”
As a result, they are amending the campaign, recognizing the sensitivity of the issue.
Honoring her Palestinian heritage, Hadid wore a dress made of keffiyeh fabric at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. The keffiyeh is a traditional checkered Arab headdress symbolizing Palestinian solidarity.
Bella and Gigi Hadid reportedly planned to donate $1 million to Palestinian relief efforts. Some of the funds are expected to go to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, whose employees have faced allegations of links with Hamas.
