Fashion model Bella Hadid is American-born but has Palestinian roots because of her father. Bella is a proud Palestinian and is often seen advocating for the rights of the Palestinian people, especially since the October 7th deadly attack of Israel on the Gaza Strip. Recently, after much criticism from Israel, International footwear brand Adidas decided to remove Bella Hadid from its advertising campaign.
Israel Condemns Adidas’ Ad Referencing 1972 Munich Games
The 27-year-old half-Palestinian model was removed from the advertisement campaign for Adidas’ retro shoes inspired by the 1972 Munich Olympics. The ad aimed at celebrating the 52nd anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympics. Israel condemned that choice of the advertisement campaign, as at the Munich games, 11 Israeli athletes along with a German officer were killed in a hostile attack by the Palestinians.
Israel Criticises Bella Hadid For Representing The Ad
After the advertisement was released, Israel issued a statement criticizing the campaign and the face in the ad, model Bella Hadid. Israel accused model Hadid of having a history of spreading antisemitism and advocating for violence against Israelis and Jews. Further adding, Hadid and her father have taken part in promoting blood libels and antisemitic conspiracies against the Jews, Israel claimed while asking Adidas to respond.
Adidas Removes Bella Hadid From Campaign
Bella Hadid was then removed from the campaign, although, it was later clarified that her contract with the brand Adidas is still intact. Upon the criticism, footwear brand Adidas came forward to apologize for the advertisement campaign suggesting that it would be revising the remainder of the advertisement campaign. Adidas further clarified that it acknowledges the ties the campaign has with historical violence and mentions that it was unintentional.
Bella Hadid To Take Legal Action On Adidas
Possibly unaware of what the event meant, Bella Hadid is allegedly seeking legal support to sue Adidas for its lack of public accountability after being associated with the SL72 campaign. Users on social media defended Bella Hadid for being the face of Adidas’ offensive advertisement campaign and called for a boycott of the international footwear brand. Moreover, Bella Hadid has been an active voice in support of the Palestinians and also donated money for Gaza relief efforts earlier this year amid the Israel-Palestine war.