Bella Hadid becomes face of Adidas retro 1972 Olympic sneakers, Israel calls it 'egregious error’

Athletic apparel and footwear company Adidas has landed in controversy after it chose to make pro-Palestine supermodel Bella Hadidthe face of the re-released retro 1972 Olympic sneakers.

In the year 1972, a Palestinian terrorist group killed 11 Israeli athletes and coachesat the Munich games.

Bella Hadid is half-Palestinian by birth as her father is a Palestinian and her sister Gigi Hadid has been slammed for supporting the Palestinian relief efforts after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.

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On Monday (July 15), the German athletic wear company announced the re-launch of the classic SL 72 shoe before the awaited 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

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This also marked the 52nd anniversary of the “Munich Massacre” when Palestinian terrorist group Black September members entered the village and tookIsraeli athletes and coaches hostage before they eventually killed them.

Israel reacts sharply to Bella Hadid's selection as Adidas face

The official social media account of the State of Israel questioned Adidas over its decision to rope in Bella Hadid to represent the brand.

“Guess who the face of [Adidas’] campaign is? Bella Hadid, a half-Palestinian model who has a history of spreading antisemitism and calling for violence against Israelis and Jews,” read the post on the accountrun by the Israeli foreign ministry on X.

The shoemaker was blasted by the pro-Israel American Jewish Committee for the insensitive ad campaign.

“For Adidas to pick a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory. Neither is acceptable,” said the organisation.

“We call on Adidas to address this egregious error," it added.

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Honouring her Palestinian heritage, Hadid in May wore a dress made of keffiyeh fabric at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. The fabric is a checkered traditional Arab headdress which has become a symbol of solidarity among the Palestinians.

It was reported that Bella and Gigi Hadid also had planned on donating $1 millionto support Palestinian relief efforts.

It was said that some of the cash is likely to go to the United Nations Relief and Works Agencywhose employees faced allegations of having links with Hamas.

(With inputs from agencies)