Adidas apologises for Bella Hadid campaign collab after Israeli backlash

Adidas has apologised for teaming up with Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid for one of its campaigns following fierce backlash from Israel.

The sportswear brand used Hadid’s face for a relaunch of the SL72 shoes worn by athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The tournament that year saw 11 Israelis killed by Palestinian gunmen. The attackers hoped to force the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel as well as two left-wing members in West German jails.

The Adidas-Hadid collaboration drew heavy criticism from pro-Zionist groups and the Israeli government’s official page on X.

Adidas said in an emailed statement that the campaign for the SL72 shoe "unites a broad range of partners."

"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," it said.

"As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign," it added, without saying how.

The images of Hadid donning the shoes were deleted from Adidas' social media channels.

According to AFP, a spokeswoman confirmed that Hadid had been removed from the campaign. The New Arab could not verify this.

Hadid is among five celebrities and athletes hired as models for the new campaign.

Despite the criticism from pro-Zionist groups and public figures, others have shown support for Hadid's campaign, saying the attack at the 1972 Olympics was baseless and happened before Hadid was even born.

On Friday, the hashtag #BoycottAdidas was trending on X, as social media users called on the company to reinstate Hadid as the face of the campaign.

"Shame on Adidas and their cowardice at cancelling Bella Hadid's contract," one person wrote. 

Daughter of Palestinian-American real estate mogul and Nakba survivor Mohamed Hadid, Bella Hadid has been outspoken about her Palestinian heritage and has continuously criticised Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, saying she has lost work and friends over her support for Palestine.

Since the start of Israel's relentless war on Gaza in October, Hadid has shared images, infographics, and news concerning Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, and recently donated $1 million with her sister, fellow model Gigi, for various Palestinian aid agencies.

More than 38,000 people have been killed by Israel's strikes in Gaza, mostly women and children.

(Agencies contributed to this report)