Bella Hadid, the model, has found herself at the center of controversy after being chosen as the face of Adidas’ new shoe campaign linked to the Olympic Games.
The shoe, which is inspired by a retro design from the 1972 Munich Olympics, has stirred up controversy because the event was marred by a terrorist attack carried out by Palestinian militants, resulting in the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes.
Bella Hadid, who is vocal about her Palestinian heritage and critical of Israeli policies, has faced severe backlash from Israeli and Zionist public figures and media. Yoseph Haddad, an Israeli journalist and influencer, criticized the campaign as “unbelievable, hypocritical, and disgusting,” condemning the association of Hadid with the tragic events of 1972.
The NGO StopAntisemitism also denounced Hadid as an “antisemite,” pointing to the choice of featuring her in the relaunch of the 1972 Olympic shoe. On the other hand, Palestinian media have framed the backlash as an “incitement campaign” against both Hadid and Adidas.
Some social media users defended the collaboration, arguing that Hadid should not be held responsible for events that occurred before her time. Meanwhile, others used the controversy to advocate for a ban on Israel from the Olympics in light of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Adidas has continued to support Hadid in the campaign and has not addressed the criticisms publicly.
