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American model Bella Hadid has spoken out after starring in an Adidas campaign that faced heavy criticism for referencing the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The advertising campaign for the SL72s retro sneakers has been criticised for referencing the 1972 Games, where 11 Israeli athletes and a German policeman were killed in an attack by a Palestinian militant group called Black September.
Hadid, who is half Palestinian and half Dutch and has been outspoken in her support for Palestine during Israel's war in the region, said in a statement: “I am shocked, upset and disappointed by the lack of sensitivity that has gone into this campaign.”
The American Jewish Committee criticized Adidas for choosing what it called an “openly anti-Israel model” to “remember these dark Olympic Games.” The organization said the decision was “either a massive oversight or intentionally provocative,” but added that “neither is acceptable.”
“We call on adidas to correct this serious error,” he said.
Adidas issued an apology last week, saying it was “reviewing” its campaign with Hadid.
Hadid said in a statement shared on Monday night (July 29) that she would “never knowingly involve myself with any art or work that is linked to a horrific tragedy of any kind.”
“Before the launch of the campaign, I was not aware of the historical connection to the heinous events of 1972.”
She continued: “I am shocked, upset and disappointed by the lack of sensitivity that went into this campaign. Had I been informed, from the bottom of my heart, I would never have participated.
“My team should have known, adidas should have known and I should have done more research to be able to know and understand it and be able to say it.”
In the campaign, the 27-year-old model kneels on the ground while holding a bouquet of flowers for the relaunch of the sneaker that originally debuted in 1972, the same year of the atrocities that occurred at the Munich Olympics.
Hadid continued: “While everyone’s intentions were to do something positive and bring people together through art, the lack of collective understanding from all parties undermined the process.
“I do not believe in hate in any form, including anti-Semitism. That will never change and I stand by that statement to the fullest.
“Linking the liberation of the Palestinian people to such a tragic attack is something that pains my heart.
“Palestine is not synonymous with terrorism and this campaign unintentionally highlighted an event that does not represent who we are.”
Hadid, who described herself as a “proud Palestinian woman,” said she remains supportive of Palestine and continues to “advocate for a world free of anti-Semitism.”
“I am a proud Palestinian woman and our culture is much more than the things that have been talked about over the past week,” she continued.
“I will always defend peace over violence, every day. Hatred has no place here and I will always defend not only my people, but all people in the world.”
Adidas said in its statement that it had no intention of making any connections to the 1972 attack.
“We are aware that connections to tragic historical events have been made, albeit entirely unintentionally, and we apologize for any upset or distress caused,” the company said.
“As a result, we are reviewing 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.”
Hadid, the daughter of Dutch model Yolanda Hadid and Palestinian property developer Mohamed Hadid, began her career at the age of 16, making her catwalk debut for Tom Ford's autumn/winter 2015 collection. She has since starred in campaigns for Victoria's Secret, Chanel and Marc Jacobs, and has appeared on more than 20 international Vogue covers. Her sister, Gigi Hadid, is also a successful model.
