Adidas drops Bella Hadid from retro sneakers advertisement campaign linked to 1972 Munich Olympics

HERZOGENAURACH, GERMANY: Adidas removed ardent pro-Palestinian model Bella Hadid from a retro sneakers ad campaign that referenced the 1972 Munich Olympics, following backlash over her opinions,

At the Munich Olympics, 11 Israeli athletes were murdered by the Palestinian terrorist organization known as 'Black September', as per CNN.

Adidas 'apologizes' for featuring vocal pro-Palestinian model Bella Hadid in ad campaign

As part of a series recreating vintage classic trainers, the German sportswear company recently resurrected the SL72, a shoe initially exhibited by competitors at the 1972 Olympics.

During the 1972 Munich Games, gunmen from the Black September group burst into the Olympic village and grabbed hostages, killing 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer on September 5.

They promptly shot and killed two members, and after an 18-hour siege, the other Israelis were killed in a poorly executed rescue attempt, per Daily Mail.

The German sportswear company's decision to feature model Bella Hadid—who was born in the US but has Palestinian roots—in the campaign's front was the main source of controversy.

Hadid has been outspoken in her support of Palestinian rights ever since the Gaza War broke out, but she has come under fire for both her opinions and her participation in the Adidas shoe commercial.

Following complaints from Jewish organizations and Israel, Adidas subsequently removed all social media posts that included Hadid. Adidas further announced that it will be "revising the remainder of the campaign," albeit it did not say how.

Hadid, 27, was officially taken out of the campaign, said a spokesperson. While the commercial indicates that the shoes were first released in 1972, it does not refer to the terrorist act that targeted Israeli athletes, per Daily Mail.

The company released a statement saying "We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events - though these are completely unintentional - and we apologize for any upset or distress caused."

"As a result we are revising the remainder of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force around the world and will continue our efforts to champion diversity and equality in everything we do," the sportswear brand added.

Hadid was one of five athletes, celebrities, and models chosen to represent the shoe. Adidas declared that it would carry on the SL72 promotion with other models.

Bella Hadid is a vocal supporter of Palestine

Bella Hadid, who has often spoken her opinions regarding brutality against Palestinians and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, is the daughter of Palestinian-American real estate entrepreneur Mohamed Hadid.

The supermodel earlier referenced the more than 38,000 deaths as a result of Israeli airstrikes and military operations in Gaza, as reported by Gaza's Ministry of Health.

"My heart is bleeding with pain from the trauma I am seeing unfold, as well as the generational trauma of my Palestinian blood," Hadid wrote in an Instagram statement from October 2023.

She continued, "I mourn for the Israeli families that have been dealing with the pain and aftermath of October 7," alluding to the day when Palestinian militants massacred over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped over 250 more.

Hadid has called Israel's offensive a "genocide" and participated in multiple pro-Palestinian protests during the conflict. She previously came under fire from the Israeli government for supposedly ranting the divisive phrase "From the river to the Sea - Palestine will be free."

In 2021, a Jewish organization World Values Network issued an advertisement in The New York Times characterizing Hadid, her sister Gigi Hadid, and artist Dua Lipa as antisemites.

Adidas faces intense criticism for dropping pro-Palestine Bella Hadid from ad campaign

Social media users slammed the sportswear giant after dropping the pro-Palestine supermodel from their retro shoes ad campaign which referenced the 1972 Munich Olympic games.

One X (formerly Twitter) user condemned and wrote, "Adidas just deleted bella hadid’s campaign because they chose to believe the boldface lies israel say about her simply because she’s palestinian instead of standing up for her. shame on both of them & the zionists that supports their actions of silencing bella and her people."

Another user added, "Sacking Bella Hadid because she’s Palestinian equates all acts committed by those with shared nationality. In essence, this makes every person on earth culpable, since no nation exists without criminal entities. This is peak racism @adidas . Welcome to the boycott list."

"Everyone knows that Bella Hadid supports Palestine. You only backed down because you couldn't handle the backlash from Zionists. You chose to listen to Zionists instead of giving a voice to the children, adults, and animals suffering and dying. Shame on you, Adidas," slammed another.

Another user wrote in part, "@adidas you will not silence Bella or the supporters of Palestine"

One seethed and wrote, "Are they saying they knew nothing about the person they chose to be their ambassador beforehand? They are cowards and clowns."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.