Adidas apologizes for Bella Hadid shoe ad after Israeli government criticism

Adidas has apologized for featuring model Bella Hadid in campaign ads for its SL72 shoes, which were first released for the 1972 Munich Olympics, an event marked by the Palestinian group Black September’s invasion of the Olympic Village and the death of 11 Israeli athletes.

After the German sportswear company posted images of Hadid promoting her SL72 footwear, the state of Israel criticized the change to X. “Guess who the face of their campaign is? Bella Hadid, a model who has a history of spreading anti-Semitism and calling for violence against Israelis and Jews,” he wrote on Thursday.

Hadid’s father is Palestinian and she has openly supported Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war.

On Friday, Adidas pulled Hadid’s ads and told NBC News it was “reviewing the remainder of the campaign.”

“We are aware that connections have been made to tragic historical events – although these are completely unintentional – and we apologize for any inconvenience or distress caused,” Adidas said.

At the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, eight Palestinians affiliated with the militant group Black September took Israeli Olympic athletes hostage and demanded the release of Palestinians held in Israeli and German prisons. In the ensuing shootout with German police, Palestinian militants killed 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer.

Other social media users defended Hadid and, in response, called for a boycott of Adidas. Hadid was not immediately available for comment.

When Hadid appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine in 2021, she said in the Instagram: “I will not stop talking about the systematic oppression, pain and humility that Palestinians face on a regular basis.” Since then, she has continued to openly support Palestinians and criticize the Israeli government.

The war between Israel and Hamas continues to drive a divide in Hollywood and influencers over how to respond to the conflict, with prominent public figures facing backlash over their views.