Has Adidas Officially Ended Collaboration With Bella Hadid For Standing Up For Gaza?
As per the recent reports, Adidas, the globally famous sportswear brand, has ended its collaboration with Bella Hadid due to her criticism of Israel’s action in Gaza. Last year in July 2024, the company had removed the pro-Palestinian model from their SL72 campaign, which references the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The Munich Olympics are remembered for a tragic incident where 11 Israeli athletes were kidnapped and killed by a Palestinian group, “Black September”.
Bella Hadid shares a Palestinian heritage, tracing to 18th-century ruler Zahir al-Umar via her father, Mohamed Hadid, which adds a personal dimension to her activism.
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Notably, the Adidas founders Adi and Rudolf Dassler allegedly joined the Nazi Party in 1933, producing weapons for the Naziz in WWII, and supporting Hitler’s regime. Ironically, the company now ends ties with Hadid for opposing Israel’s action in Gaza.
The footwear brand landed in hot water after getting backlash from Jewish groups and Israel for featuring supermodel Bella Hadid in their retro-styled sneakers. Adidas subsequently removed Hadid for her Palestinian roots and being a prominent advocate for Palestinian relief efforts.
Adidas ha retirado la campaña publicitaria de la modelo Bella Hadid por mostrar solidaridad con el pueblo de Palestina: “No tengo miedo a perder trabajos por apoyar a Palestina”. Grande. pic.twitter.com/o432ButymK
— Fonsi Loaiza (@FonsiLoaiza) July 20, 2024
However, the brand later issued an apology to Hadid and others associated with the campaign and promised to revise while believing in sport as a unifying force. After getting rid of Bella Hadid ads, earlier, the brand got backlash from pro-Palestinian groups, who alleged the brand for engaging in silencing tactics against vocies of Palestinian heritage.
Read Also: Global Call ‘Silence For Gaza’: Digital Protest In Support Of Palestinians Begins Today
Now, the reports of Adidas officially cutting ties with Hadid have been circulated widely on social media. However, no such confirmation has received so far from the official page of Adidas Group.
