Adidas drops Bella Hadid from campaign referencing 1972 Munich Olympics
Al Jazeera
Hadid, who is half-Palestinian, has been vocal in her support for Palestinian rights and an end to Israel’s war on Gaza.
Adidas has dropped vocal pro-Palestinian supermodel Bella Hadid from an advertising campaign that drew criticism from Israel over its reference to the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The campaign was for the retro SL72 shoe, inspired by a design from the 1972 event, where the Palestinian Black September group took Israeli athletes hostage.
Eleven Israelis, a German policeman and five Palestinian attackers died after a standoff at the Olympic village and the nearby Fuerstenfeldbruck airfield as rescue efforts erupted into a gunfight.
The German sports brand said on Friday that it would be “revising the remainder of the campaign” with immediate effect.
“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,” the company said in a statement sent to the news agency AFP.