Adidas u-turns on Bella Hadid ad campaign after 'anti-Semitism' claims
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Adidas removed Bella Hadid from its ad campaign promoting a shoe launched in 1972 over allegations of anti-Semitism.
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Bella Hadid poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'The Apprentice' at the 77th International Film Festival, Cannes, southern France, May 20, 2024 (Invision via AP)
Adidas has removed adverts featuring US-Palestinian model Bella Hadid which were promoting the SL72 sports shoe, initially launched during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
The German-based sportswear giant announced it was "revising" its campaign following criticism from the Israeli occupation over Hadid's participation.
Adidas had promoted the shoes in a campaign that included Hadid, who faced criticism previously from the Israeli occupation government over her pro-Palestine stance, which led to her being unjustly described as an anti-Semite by many.
The Israeli regime's official account on X objected to Hadid being "the face of [the Adidas] campaign" which is linked to the 1972 Munich Olympics during which Palestinian Resistance fighters carried out an operation that killed 11 Israelis.
Adidas issued an apology for "any upset or distress caused" by featuring #BellaHadid, a model with Palestinian heritage, in advertisements for its 1972 Munich Olympic sneaker relaunch.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 19, 2024
Hadid was chosen to headline the SL72 campaign, which commemorates the 52nd anniversary of the… pic.twitter.com/AyFAAxxS2G
The model has consistently criticized the Israeli government and shown support for Palestinians. On October 23, she posted on Instagram, lamenting the loss of innocent lives and urging her followers to pressure their leaders to protect civilians in Gaza without any anti-Semitic notions or statements, yet "Israel" continued its allegations.
Adidas issued a statement in which it stressed that the SL72 campaign "unites a broad range of partners" and acknowledged the unintended connections to historical events, apologizing for any distress caused.
"As a result, we are revising the remainder of the campaign," the company stated, though details on the specific changes were not provided.
Other advertisements featuring Adidas brand ambassadors such as French footballer Jules Koundé, US rapper A$AP Nast, and Chinese model Sabrina Lan remain online.
The 1972 Munich Olympics saw members of the Palestinian group Black September break into the Olympic village on September 5, taking eleven Israeli settlers who were team members hostage in order to negotiate the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees languishing in Israeli prisons.
The 1972 operation, mixed with an ad campaign starring a Palestinian months after October 7, has evoked an uneasy feeling among Israelis that killing 38,000 civilians has not.
Is it really anti-Semitism?
The entire Western narrative about anti-Semitism nearly falls apart when looking at what now defines the word, especially taking into consideration that in July 2023, organizations from seven nations, most of whom are staunch supporters of the Israeli occupation, came together to form a "global task force" that would try and tackle "anti-Semitism", though not much was specified regarding this topic.
According to a statement published by the J7 Global Task Force Against Antisemitism, the initiative will "unite leaders from the world's most significant Jewish communities to devise coordinated strategies, discuss mutual challenges, and share best practices."
However, the list of the task force's members raises many questions about this so-called fight against anti-Semitism, as it includes the notorious Anti-Defamation League, an organization known for its Zionist ideals, support for the Israeli occupation, and vilification of Pro-Palestine activists.
The ADL proclaims Zionism to be "the movement for the self-determination and statehood for the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland, the land of Israel," intentionally ignoring its roots that stem from European colonialism and the pursuit of expansion at the expense of third countries.
Moreover, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt claimed in May that anti-Zionism was anti-Semitism, a sort of umbrella phrase that seeks to demonize anyone who opposes the Israeli occupation and the crime it commits against the Palestinian people and Arabs.
Another member is the Board of Deputies of British Jews, another Zionist organization that supports the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
The board also asserts that Zionism is "the belief that the Jewish people have the right to self-determination in our ancestral homeland."
The board also in May 2018 criticized the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas for its response to Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, without acknowledging that the Israeli occupation forces killed scores of Palestinians and used disproportionate force against them. The same happened in 2023.
